Tigran Hamasyan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tigran Hamasyan
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| Background information | |
| Born | July 17, 1987 Leninakan, Armenian SSR, (now Gyumri, Armenia) |
| Genres | Jazz, jazz fusion, progressive rock, Armenian folk |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, pianist, composer |
| Instruments | Piano, vocals |
| Years active | 2001–present |
Tigran Hamasyan (Armenian: Տիգրան Համասյան) is a talented Armenian jazz pianist and composer. He was born on July 17, 1987. Tigran mostly plays his own music. His compositions are greatly inspired by traditional Armenian folk music. He often uses Armenian scales and musical styles in his work.
Besides folk music, Tigran is also influenced by American jazz. Some of his music, like his album Red Hail, even has elements of progressive rock. His solo album A Fable is especially connected to Armenian folk music. Even when he plays jazz, his improvisations often include beautiful melodies from Middle Eastern traditions.
Contents
Early Life and Musical Start
Tigran Hamasyan was born in Gyumri, Armenia. His family came from the Kars region. His father was a jeweler, and his mother designed clothes. Tigran started playing melodies on the piano when he was just three years old. He began attending a music school at the age of six. When he was a young child, he dreamed of becoming a thrash metal guitarist.
He started studying jazz when he was nine years old. As a teenager, he began to mix local folk melodies with jazz improvisations. During this time, Armenian composers Arno Babajanian and Avet Terterian influenced Tigran. When he was about 10, Tigran moved to Yerevan with his parents and sister. Later, at 16, they moved to California. Today, Tigran lives in Yerevan, Armenia.
Tigran's Music Career
Tigran Hamasyan recorded his first album, World Passion, when he was 18. In 2013, he spent a lot of time in Armenia. This helped him develop a deeper interest in his country's folk music. He also led a group called "Aratta Rebirth," with whom he performed Red Hail.
On April 29, 2022, Nonesuch Records released Tigran's first album of American jazz songs called StandArt. He recorded this project in Los Angeles in the spring of 2021. The album features nine songs from the 1920s to the 1950s. Famous musicians like Matt Brewer, Justin Brown, Ambrose Akinmusire, Joshua Redman, and Mark Turner played with Tigran on this album.
Awards and Recognitions
Tigran Hamasyan has won many awards for his amazing musical talent:
- 2002: 3rd Prize at the Concours International de Piano-Jazz Martial Solal (Paris).
- 2003: 1st Prize at Jazz à Juan Révélations for instrumental jazz.
- 2003: 1st Prize from critics and the public at the Concours de Piano du Montreux Jazz Festival.
- 2005: 3rd Prize at the Concours de Piano-Jazz de Moscou.
- 2005: 1st Prize at the 8ème Concours de Solistes de Jazz de Monaco.
- 2006: 1st Prize at the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz.
- 2006: 2nd Prize at the Concours International de Piano-Jazz Martial Solal.
- 2013: Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Contemporary Music.
- 2015: Paul Acket Award at the North Sea Jazz Festival.
- 2016: ECHO Jazz Awards.
Tigran's Albums
Tigran Hamasyan has released many albums, both as a leader and by playing with other musicians.
Albums as a Leader
| Year | Album | Record label | Peak positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | World Passion | Nocturne | – | – | – |
| 2007 | New Era | Plus Loin | – | – | – |
| 2009 | Aratta Rebirth: Red Hail | Plus Loin | – | – | – |
| 2011 | A Fable | Verve | – | 70 | – |
| 2013 | Shadow Theater | Verve | 127 | 63 | – |
| 2015 | Mockroot | Nonesuch | – | – | 11 |
| 2015 | Luys i Luso | ECM | – | – | – |
| 2017 | An Ancient Observer | Nonesuch | – | 191 | 12 |
| 2019 | They Say Nothing Stays the Same (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | SEEBEDON | – | – | – |
| 2020 | The Call Within | Nonesuch | – | – | – |
| 2022 | StandArt | Nonesuch | – | – | – |
| 2024 | The Bird of a Thousand Voices | Nonesuch | – | – | – |
EPs
- EP No. 1 (2011)
- The Poet (2014)
- For Gyumri (2018)
Albums as a Sideman
Tigran has also played on albums with other artists:
- 2010: Abu Nawas Rhapsody with Dhafer Youssef
- 2011: Lines of Oppression with Ari Hoenig
- 2012: Liberetto with Lars Danielsson
- 2012: Lobi with Stéphane Galland
- 2013: Jazz-Iz-Christ with Serj Tankian, Valeri Tolstov & Tom Duprey
- 2013: The World Begins Today with Olivier Bogé, Sam Minaie & Jeff Ballard
- 2014: Liberetto II with Lars Danielsson
- 2015: Ancient Mechanisms with LV
- 2016: Atmosphères with Arve Henriksen, Eivind Aarset, and Jan Bang
See also
In Spanish: Tigran Hamasyan para niños
