Pianist/Composer Tigran Hamasyan's New Solo Album, "An Ancient Observer," Due March 31 on Nonesuch Records

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Nonesuch Records releases its second album from pianist Tigran Hamasyan, An Ancient Observer, on March 31, 2017. It includes ten new compositions, two of which are based on Armenian melodies. Some are through-composed and completely written out, while others are composed with ample space for Hamasyan to improvise. He cites a wide range of influences—from Baroque dance to hip-hop grooves adapted to piano—and the sounds of his native country of Armenia are present, as always. Pre-orders include an instant download of the album track "Fides Tua"; you can watch a live performance of the song here.

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Nonesuch Records releases its second album from pianist Tigran Hamasyan, An Ancient Observer, on March 31, 2017. An Ancient Observer is the follow-up to Hamasyan's label debut, Mockroot, of which the Guardian said, "A phenomenal piano player, an irrepressible entertainer, a promising experimenter with hi-tech gizmology and a creative world-music composer. Mockroot plays vivaciously to all those strengths." The musician says of his new solo recording, which features ten new compositions: "These songs are musical observations about the world we live in now, and the weight of history we carry with us." Hamasyan will tour the US in February and March, then Europe in the spring; see below for the currently announced dates. An Ancient Observer is available to preorder now at iTunes and the Nonesuch Store with an instant download of the album track "Fides Tua." You can watch a live performance video of that song below.

An Ancient Observer's songs—two of which are based on Armenian melodies—were written over the last four years. Some of the pieces are through-composed and completely written out, while others are composed with ample space for Hamasyan to improvise. Many include vocals layered into the mix. As with most of his compositions, Hamasyan cites a wide range of influences, from Baroque dance to hip-hop, with pedals connected to a synthesizer on a few tracks—while the sounds of his native country also are present, as always.

Hamasyan has returned to Armenia, where his daily life inspired these new pieces: "I gaze out of my window and see the biblical mountain Ararat with perpetual snow on its peak, with electrical towers with wires in the foreground cutting the picture, and satellite dishes melted onto old and modern houses—ancestral smoke coming out of their chimneys—and birds hovering above the trees along with occasional airplane trails in the vast sky. It is a dialogue, this interaction of God-given ancient nature with our modern human achievements," he says. "For me it is an awakening, and a beautiful feeling, to be able to observe the magnificence of this sleeping volcanic giant, which has existed for millions of years and was observed by the Ararat Valley Koura-Arax culture through to the present day citizens of the Armenian republic. I can see and observe the same birds, animals, rivers, and mountains that the craftsman of 4,000 years ago painted on a clay vessel. He was observing the same thing I observe now, and what remains is his or her beautiful work of art."

Born in Armenia in 1987 before relocating with his family to Los Angeles in 2003, Tigran Hamasyan currently resides in Erevan, Armenia. He began playing piano at the age of three and started performing in festivals and competitions when he was eleven years old, winning the Montreux Jazz Festival's piano competition in 2003. Hamasyan released his debut album, World Passion, in 2005 at the age of seventeen. The following year, he won the prestigious Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competition. Subsequent albums include New Era (2007); Red Hail (2009); A Fable (2011), for which he was awarded a Victoires de la Musique (the equivalent of a Grammy Award in France); Shadow Theater (2013); Luys i Luso (2015); and Mockroot (2015), for which he won the Echo Jazz Award for International Piano Instrumentalist of the Year. In addition to awards and critical praise, Hamasyan has built a dedicated international following, as well as praise from Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, and Brad Mehldau.

TIGRAN HAMASYAN ON TOUR

Mar 5 Yoshi's Oakland, CA
Mar 8 Middle Eastern Festival Boston, MA
Mar 10 SubCulture New York, NY
     
Mar 17 Auditorium Gazzoli Terni, ITALY
Mar 18 Centro Culturale Chiasso Chiasso, SWITZERLAND
Mar 21 Théâtre de Privas Annonay, FRANCE
Mar 24 Trianon Paris, FRANCE
Mar 25 Théâtre d'Aurillac Aurillac, FRANCE
Mar 29 Pole Culturel Alfortville Alfortville, FRANCE
Mar 30 Jazz à l'Etage Rennes, FRANCE
Mar 31 Flagey Brussels, BELGIUM
Apr 1 Handelsbeurs Gent, BELGIUM
Apr 5 RNCM Manchester, UK
Apr 6 King's Place London, UK
Apr 8 Transition Festival Utrecht, NETHERLANDS
     
Apr 18 Sello Hall's Espoo, FINLAND
Apr 19 laeiszhalle hamburg Hamburg, GERMANY
Apr 21 Centre des Arts Enghien-les-Bains, FRANCE
Apr 22 Rocher de Palmer Cenon, FRANCE
Apr 25 le Radiant Caluire, FRANCE
Apr 27 Nasjonal Jazz Scene Oslo, NORWAY
Apr 29 JazzKaar Tallinn, ESTONIA
     
May 18 Camerata Orchestra Geneva, SWITZERLAND
     
Jun 10 Kölner Philharmonie Köln, GERMANY
     

 

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Tigran Hamasyan: "An Ancient Observer" [cover]
  • Thursday, December 15, 2016
    Pianist/Composer Tigran Hamasyan's New Solo Album, "An Ancient Observer," Due March 31 on Nonesuch Records

    Nonesuch Records releases its second album from pianist Tigran Hamasyan, An Ancient Observer, on March 31, 2017. An Ancient Observer is the follow-up to Hamasyan's label debut, Mockroot, of which the Guardian said, "A phenomenal piano player, an irrepressible entertainer, a promising experimenter with hi-tech gizmology and a creative world-music composer. Mockroot plays vivaciously to all those strengths." The musician says of his new solo recording, which features ten new compositions: "These songs are musical observations about the world we live in now, and the weight of history we carry with us." Hamasyan will tour the US in February and March, then Europe in the spring; see below for the currently announced dates. An Ancient Observer is available to preorder now at iTunes and the Nonesuch Store with an instant download of the album track "Fides Tua." You can watch a live performance video of that song below.

    An Ancient Observer's songs—two of which are based on Armenian melodies—were written over the last four years. Some of the pieces are through-composed and completely written out, while others are composed with ample space for Hamasyan to improvise. Many include vocals layered into the mix. As with most of his compositions, Hamasyan cites a wide range of influences, from Baroque dance to hip-hop, with pedals connected to a synthesizer on a few tracks—while the sounds of his native country also are present, as always.

    Hamasyan has returned to Armenia, where his daily life inspired these new pieces: "I gaze out of my window and see the biblical mountain Ararat with perpetual snow on its peak, with electrical towers with wires in the foreground cutting the picture, and satellite dishes melted onto old and modern houses—ancestral smoke coming out of their chimneys—and birds hovering above the trees along with occasional airplane trails in the vast sky. It is a dialogue, this interaction of God-given ancient nature with our modern human achievements," he says. "For me it is an awakening, and a beautiful feeling, to be able to observe the magnificence of this sleeping volcanic giant, which has existed for millions of years and was observed by the Ararat Valley Koura-Arax culture through to the present day citizens of the Armenian republic. I can see and observe the same birds, animals, rivers, and mountains that the craftsman of 4,000 years ago painted on a clay vessel. He was observing the same thing I observe now, and what remains is his or her beautiful work of art."

    Born in Armenia in 1987 before relocating with his family to Los Angeles in 2003, Tigran Hamasyan currently resides in Erevan, Armenia. He began playing piano at the age of three and started performing in festivals and competitions when he was eleven years old, winning the Montreux Jazz Festival's piano competition in 2003. Hamasyan released his debut album, World Passion, in 2005 at the age of seventeen. The following year, he won the prestigious Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competition. Subsequent albums include New Era (2007); Red Hail (2009); A Fable (2011), for which he was awarded a Victoires de la Musique (the equivalent of a Grammy Award in France); Shadow Theater (2013); Luys i Luso (2015); and Mockroot (2015), for which he won the Echo Jazz Award for International Piano Instrumentalist of the Year. In addition to awards and critical praise, Hamasyan has built a dedicated international following, as well as praise from Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, and Brad Mehldau.

    TIGRAN HAMASYAN ON TOUR

    Mar 5 Yoshi's Oakland, CA
    Mar 8 Middle Eastern Festival Boston, MA
    Mar 10 SubCulture New York, NY
         
    Mar 17 Auditorium Gazzoli Terni, ITALY
    Mar 18 Centro Culturale Chiasso Chiasso, SWITZERLAND
    Mar 21 Théâtre de Privas Annonay, FRANCE
    Mar 24 Trianon Paris, FRANCE
    Mar 25 Théâtre d'Aurillac Aurillac, FRANCE
    Mar 29 Pole Culturel Alfortville Alfortville, FRANCE
    Mar 30 Jazz à l'Etage Rennes, FRANCE
    Mar 31 Flagey Brussels, BELGIUM
    Apr 1 Handelsbeurs Gent, BELGIUM
    Apr 5 RNCM Manchester, UK
    Apr 6 King's Place London, UK
    Apr 8 Transition Festival Utrecht, NETHERLANDS
         
    Apr 18 Sello Hall's Espoo, FINLAND
    Apr 19 laeiszhalle hamburg Hamburg, GERMANY
    Apr 21 Centre des Arts Enghien-les-Bains, FRANCE
    Apr 22 Rocher de Palmer Cenon, FRANCE
    Apr 25 le Radiant Caluire, FRANCE
    Apr 27 Nasjonal Jazz Scene Oslo, NORWAY
    Apr 29 JazzKaar Tallinn, ESTONIA
         
    May 18 Camerata Orchestra Geneva, SWITZERLAND
         
    Jun 10 Kölner Philharmonie Köln, GERMANY
         

     

    Journal Articles:Album ReleaseArtist News

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