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| 3/8: Middle Eastern Festival: The Music of Tigran Hamasyan The Signature Series at Berklee continues on March 8 with the ninth annual Berklee Middle Eastern Festival. This year's edition features the music of Armenian pianist and composer Tigran Hamasyan. The event brings together guest artists, community musicians, Berklee students, visual artists, and dancers from all over the world to celebrate the music of the Middle East, the Balkans, the Caucasus and the Mediterranean. The Berklee Middle Eastern Fusion Ensemble, directed by festival founder Christiane Karam, associate professor of voice, will perform some of Hamasyan's most celebrated works spanning his prolific and diverse career. The concert will also include excerpts from his choral album Lyus i Luso, arranged for choir, piano and strings, featuring the Pletenitsa Balkan Choir, also led by Karam; and the Berklee World Strings, led by Grammy Award-winning Berklee professor Eugene Friesen. Hamasyan will also present a solo set, performing selections from his upcoming album, An Ancient Observer. "Hamasyan has inspired millions of people around the world. His energy, unique approach to blending seemingly unrelated musical influences, and his incredible skills make him a force to be reckoned with, " said Karam. "On a personal note, having Armenian roots myself, I find that his reverence for Armenia and the traditions he comes from are conveyed very strongly in his musical voice and give it an undeniable soulfulness. It's truly a privilege having him with us." Middle Eastern Festival: The Music of Tigran Hamasyan takes place Wednesday, March 8, 8:00 p.m., at the Berklee Performance Center (BPC), 136 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA. Reserved seating tickets are available for $8/$12 at the BPC box office or berklee.edu/bpc. The venue is wheelchair accessible. For more information, call 617-747-2261. Known for melding jazz, folk, progressive rock, and classical forms, Tigran Hamasyan has established himself as one of the most innovative artists of his age. His career has included an impressive number of accolades, including top piano award at the 2013 Montreux Jazz Festival, and the grand prize at the 2006 Thelonious Monk Jazz Piano Competition. In 2015, Hamasyan garnered the Paul Acket Award at the North Sea Jazz Festival and in 2016, he earned the Echo Jazz Award (the German Grammy) for International Instrumentalist of the Year, Piano, for his album Mockroot. Tigran's latest release is 2017's An Ancient Observer, his second solo album for Nonesuch Records, and his eighth overall as a leader. Berklee was founded on the revolutionary principle that the best way to prepare students for careers in music is through the study and practice of contemporary music. For 70 years, the college has evolved to reflect the current state of the music industry, leading the way with baccalaureate studies in performance, music business/management, songwriting, music therapy, film scoring, and more. In June 2016, the Boston Conservatory merged with Berklee, creating the world's most comprehensive and dynamic training ground for music, dance, theater, and related professions. With a focus on global learning, the Berklee campus in Valencia, Spain, offers graduate programs and study abroad opportunity, while Berklee Online serves distance learners worldwide with extension classes and degree-granting programs. The Berklee City Music Network provides after-school programming for underserved teens in 46 locations throughout the U.S. and Canada. With a student body representing more than 100 countries, abundant international undergraduate and graduate student populations (33 and 53 percent respectively), and alumni and faculty who have won more than 300 Grammy and Latin Grammy awards, Berklee is the world's premier learning lab for the music of today—and tomorrow. write your comments about the article :: © 2017 Jazz News :: home page |