Tigran

Kim Kashkashian brings Armenia’s leading contemporary composer to ECM New Series in a programme that also explores the roots of Armenian music. Compositions by Tigran Mansurian for viola and percussion, played by Kashkashian and Robyn Schulkowsky, receive their premiere recordings here, and frame a selection of Mansurian’s arrangements of the music of Komitas.

World Passion was recorded in Los Angeles with Ben Wendel (sax), Francois Moutin (bass), Ari Hoenig (drums) and Rouben Hairapetyan (duduk & zurna, traditional Armenian instruments).

Tigran Hamasyan was born in Gyumri, Armenia, in 1987. Ely the age of 7 he was listening to jazz melodies and improvising on piano all day long. He began to study the art of Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker, Art Tatum, Miles Davis and others, comprehending everything so fast and so deeply that he soon reached a high technique and unique jazz thinking. The First International Jazz Festival of Yerevan (held in 1998) opened a new stage in his creative life; the jazz community looked at him as a real discovery and he received invitations to play concerts and sessions. At the 2000 Festival, he became acquainted with jazz stars Chick Corea, Avishai Cohen, Jeff Ballard and An Roland; the following year he took part several festivals in France, where he played with Philip and Christophe Le Van and was introduced to Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, John McLaughlin. Joe Zawinul, Danillo Perez and John Patitucci.

Young Armenian born pianist Tigran Hamasyan is the next rising star in progressive and modern jazz piano, following paths of the bop innovator Bud Powell, post-Powell contemporary icon Chick Corea, and peer Eldar Djangirov. Brimming with talent so extreme it boils from his fingers, Hamasyan's second release as a leader displays all the power, chops, and verve one could want if you are into visceral, steam-powered jazz. Inspired by his bandmates, the twin Moutin brothers, Hamasyan paints an ethnic palate of music from his homeland mixed with witty fervor and no small sampling of sensitivity within measured parameters.

Quasi Parlando is an important addition to ECM's documentation of the work of Tigran Mansurian, an often breathtaking account of highly original contemporary chamber orchestra music. Issued in the wake of his 75th birthday, the album presents four works for soloists and strings, and marks the ECM debut of the Moldovan violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja, winner of the 2013 Gramophone Awards 'Record of the Year'. It opens with the Armenian composer's fiercely-concentrated Double Concerto for Violin, Cello and String Orchestra, and proceeds to new music performed by its dedicatees: the lyrical Romance, dedicated to Patricia Kopatchinskaja, and the intensely expressive Quasi Parlando, dedicated to German cellist Anja Lechner. Both are world premiere recordings, as is the Violin Concerto No 2, subtitled Four Serious Songs, which concludes the programme. Throughout, the soloists deliver committed performances, as does the Amsterdam Sinfonietta under the direction of Candida Thompson.

Hamasyan's ability to blend so many musical influences makes New Era stand out from the flood of new CDs.Ken Dryden, allaboutjazz.com

Tigran Hamasyan’s Nonesuch Records debut album, Mockroot, features music draws from a wide range of sources—from jazz and Armenian folk music; Bach and French fin de siècle composers; dubstep, thrash metal, and contemporary electronica. His live performances and six studio albums have received enthusiastic approval from the likes of Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, and Brad Mehldau.

The Bird Of A Thousand Voices by Tigran Hamasyan is a mesmerizing musical journey that showcases the artist's virtuosity and creativity. Released by Believe Digital Gmbh, this album features a fusion of jazz, folk, and classical influences, creating a unique and captivating listening experience.