Tigran Hamasyan

Tigran Hamasyan (; born 17 July 1987) is an Armenian jazz pianist, singer, whistler, and composer. He plays mostly original compositions, strongly influenced by the Armenian folk tradition, often using its scales and modalities. In addition to this folk influence, Hamasyan is influenced by American jazz traditions and, to some extent, as on his album Red Hail, by progressive rock. His solo album, A Fable, is most strongly influenced by Armenian folk music. Even in his most overt jazz compositions and renditions of well-known jazz pieces, his improvisations often contain embellishments based on scales from Middle Eastern and Southwest Asian traditions.

Early life Hamasyan was born in Gyumri, Armenia. His ancestors were from the Kars region in modern-day Turkey. His father was a jeweler and his mother designed clothes.

He studied jazz from the age of nine, then tried to incorporate local folk melodies into jazz-form improvisations when in his teens. and then to California when he was 16. He currently resides in Yerevan, Armenia.

Career

Hamasyan recorded his first album, World Passion, at the age of 18.

Awards

2002: 3rd Prize Concours International de Piano-Jazz Martial Solal (Paris) 2003: 1st Prize Jazz à Juan Révélations in the jazz instrumental category 2003: 1st Prize Prix de la Critique et du Public, Concours de Piano du Montreux Jazz Festival 2005: 3rd Prize Concours de Piano-Jazz de Moscou 2005: 1st Prize 8ème Concours de Solistes de Jazz de Monaco 2006: 1st Prize Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz International Competition 2006: 2nd Prize Concours International de Piano-Jazz Martial Solal 2013: Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Contemporary Music 2015: Paul Acket Award in the North Sea Jazz Festival 2016: ECHO Jazz Awards

Discography As leader EPs EP No. 1 (2011) – released exclusively on vinyl and digital download The Poet (2014) For Gyumri (Nonesuch, 2018)

As sideman 2010: Abu Nawas Rhapsody – with Dhafer Youssef (Jazzland) 2011: Lines of Oppression – with Ari Hoenig (Naïve/AH-HA) 2012: Liberetto – with Lars Danielsson (ACT) 2012: Lobi – with Stéphane Galland (Out There/Out Note) 2013: Jazz-Iz-Christ – with Serj Tankian, Valeri Tolstov, and Tom Duprey 2013: The World Begins Today – with Olivier Bogé, Sam Minaie, and Jeff Ballard (Naïve) 2014: Liberetto II – with Lars Danielsson (The Act Company) 2015: Ancient Mechanisms – with LV (Brownswood) 2016: Atmosphères – with Arve Henriksen, Eivind Aarset, and Jan Bang (ECM)