Award-Wining Armenian Pianist Plays On Armenia-Turkey Border

- Armenian award-wining pianist Tigran Hamasyan played in a concert organised at historical Ani Ruins on Armenia-Turkey border.

Tigran Hamasyan started his "Concerts at 100 Churches" tour at historical Ani Ruins on Armenia-Turkey border, where there are three Armenian churches and a cathedral dated at the 10th century.

Hamasyan is expected to play in some other churches in Turkey related to his "Concerts at 100 Churches" tour, which will include Armenian churches in Armenia, Georgia, Lebanon, France, Belgium, Switzerland, Czech Republic, United Kingdom, Germany, Luxemburg, Russia and the US.

At the age of three Tigran Hamasyan began to play melodies on his family's piano and he went to a music school from the age of six. He studied jazz from the age of nine, then tried to incorporate local folk melodies into jazz-form improvisations when in his teens. Hamasyan, together with his parents and sister moved to Yerevan when he was around 10 and then to California when he was 16, where, as of October 2013, he continues to live.

He won 3rd Prize Concours International de Piano-Jazz Martial Solal in Paris in 2002, 1st Prize Jazz à Juan Révélations in the jazz instrumental category and 1st Prize Prix de la Critique et du Public, Concours de Piano du Montreux Jazz Festival in 2003, when he was 18 years old.

Tamar Nalcı, organiser of Tigran Hamasyan’s concerts in Turkey, said, award wining pianist was working with a team of 25 people for the "Concerts at 100 Churches". "The concerts are being filming to produce a documentary. It is very important for us holding the first concert in historical Ani Ruins, a very important site for Armenians."

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