‘the hottest pianist in jazz’
– The Guardian

 A truly original jazz talent, pianist, composer and singer Tigran Hamasyan came to Ireland for the first time in 2012, at the age of 24, to perform a solo concert of astonishing range and depth, including pieces plucked from his Verve/Universal debut, A Fable. That album and concert included strikingly original compositions not only strongly influenced by the Armenian folk tradition but also by the American jazz tradition. For his return to Ireland, Tigran will perform music from his acclaimed follow-up album, Shadow Theater, with bassist Sam Minaie and drummer Arthur Hnatek. On that album Tigran explores new avenues, both sonic and electronic, drawing on sources as diverse as Madlib, Sigur Rós and Steve Reich and enticing us into his imaginary world of characters. Tigran describes his new work as ‘a minimal, false world…but a world that expresses truth through that lie’, and the album has a unique, dream-like quality. Shadow Theater is yet another step forward in an extraordinary career. In it Tigran seamlessly blends electronic loops with traditional material in such a way that the listener never quite knows which direction a piece will take. Rather like an illusion, blink and you’ll miss it!

‘Amazing! Now, Tigran, you are my teacher.’
– Herbie Hancock

‘A mature and great and rich and deep artist.’
– Chick Corea

‘He plays piano like a raga – the next Keith Jarrett.’
– Trilok Gurtu

‘There comes a time, every now and then, when someone comes along and blows your mind and does things with music that you’ve never heard before…. Thank you Tigran!’
– Gilles Peterson 

‘Tigran stands out for his burning intensity.’
– The Daily Telegraph

When Friday, 2 May 2014, 8 pm
Where The Button Factory
Presented by Waltons New School of Music
Tickets from Ticketmaster
Full price: €33 (including Ticketmaster fee)
10 discount for currently-enrolled New School students: €29.70 (including Ticketmaster fee)
(See Student Discounts for more information.)

Tigran Hamasyan Profile

Tigran was born 1987 in Gyumri, Armenia, relocating with his family to Los Angeles, California when he was 16. However, he had begun playing piano at the age of three and in European music festivals from the age of thirteen, with his reputation growing steadily as both a performer and composer/arranger. His first album, A Fable, was released in 2011 to considerable acclaim, selling impressively for a mainly instrumental recording (the album was solo with vocal additions) and winning the young musician a French Grammy award.

At the age of 26, Tigran has achieved an incredible amount – not just in winning prestigious piano competitions and the hundreds of performances at world famous jazz festivals – but also the recognition of renowned musicians such as Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Brad Mehldau and Trilok Gurtu, not to mention Jools Holland, Gilles Peterson (for whom he performed a much vaunted collaboration with LV) and Jamie Cullum.

http://www.newschool.ie/Waltons_World_Masters_presents_Tigran_Hamasyan/Default.3917.html