Tigran Hamasyan

Tigran Hamasyan is considered one of the most remarkable and distinctive jazz-meets-rock pianists/composers of his generation. A piano virtuoso with groove power, Hamasyan seamlessly fuses potent jazz improvisation and progressive rock with the rich folkloric music of his native Armenia.

Early Life and Achievements

Born in Gyumri, Armenia, in 1987, his musical journey began in his childhood home, where he was exposed to a diverse array of musical influences. This led to him playing piano at the age of three, performing in festivals and competitions by the time he was eleven, and winning the Montreux Jazz Festivals piano competition in 2003.

Album Releases and Awards

He released his debut album, World Passion, in 2004 at the age of seventeen. The following year, he won the prestigious Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competition. Additional albums include:

• New Era
• Red Hail
• A Fable, for which he was awarded a Victoires de la Musique (the equivalent of a Grammy Award in France)
• Shadow Theater
• Luys i Luso, which featured the Yerevan State Chamber Choir focusing on Armenian sacred music from the 5th to the 20th century

Nonesuch Records and Recent Releases

His Nonesuch debut, Mockroot (2015), won the Echo Jazz Award for International Piano Instrumentalist of the Year. Subsequent records for the label include:

1. An Ancient Observer (2017)
2. The companion EP, For Gyumri (2018)
3. Revisiting the Film (2021)
4. Most recently, StandArt (2022)

Hamasyan was awarded the Deutscher Jazzpreis international category in Piano/Keyboards in 2021. He has released records on Frances Plus Loins, Universal France, Nonesuch, and ECM.

The Bird of a Thousand Voices

Hamasyan's new conceptual album The Bird of a Thousand Voices was released in August 2024 on Nave/Believe, his debut with the label. Tigran composed, scored, and arranged the much-anticipated project blending its traditional folk footprints with rock influences. The first single from the album The Kingdom can also be experienced as an interactive game at www.bird1000.com. The recently released double album is inspired by an ancient Armenian tale in which a hero travels into unseen realms to find and bring back a mythical bird whose thousand different songs will awaken people again and bring harmony to the world.

Transmedia Music Theater Piece

The transmedia music theater piece The Bird of a Thousand Voices, an intriguing immersive light installation with shadow play, digitally programmed voices, live music, and an Armenian-English libretto, premiered at the Holland Festival in June 2024.

Event Information

This event is 17 and over. Any ticket holder unable to present valid identification indicating that they are at least 17 years of age will not be admitted to this event and will not be eligible for a refund. Ticket Fee includes 1% City Amusement Tax.