Asatrian´s Musical (Herb)-Garden
"Whenever I’m in Armenia, I take a seed with me, which I sow
in my garden,” enthuses Karen Asatrian about his Armenian souvenirs with their
incomparable taste. His compositions conduct themselves in a similar way. They
show the whole width of his musical tastes. Classical piano tones interspersed
with dabs of folk music, his creations frequently go back to the roots of this
wonderful country in the Caucasians. It is a combination of basic Armenian
ingredients with jazzy spices that have found their way into his head from all
over the place and onto the black and white keys.
At the same time he is always open for everything that might
spring out and delight him, such as a sweet apricot. "I’m the happiest man in
the world whenever I go out in the garden and harvest fresh fruit and
vegetables.” His musical world reveals itself as being just as fresh, light,
lively, though sometimes melancholic too.
The piano man in a Cap has been sharing his musical
herb-garden with his enthusiastic companions for some twenty years now. They
are happy and curious to master many a challenging piece. At the end of the
day, they all know how jazz in the Asatrian home tastes. "When we set out, a
kind of common Armenian spirit arises,” Karen Asatrian is pleased to feel about
the blind trust and the mutual esteem that the group of musicians carries
around even after decades. His fellow musicians originally come from Uruguay,
Iraq, Croatia and Austria. "Special and unique dishes are concocted,” promises
the pianist. Sufficient fertilisation is provided by frequent social evenings
with fresh ingredients from his Armenian herb- garden. In this way the concert
evenings also become special moments, in which the joy in playing music
together can be felt.
Asatrian already won the "Armenian Music Award” in the
category "Best Jazz Album” with his first album "Pathway” in 2007. The CD
"Dervish” followed in 2009 and again showed how his music radiates and joins
together. In addition to his teaching duties at the University for Music and
Live Arts in Vienna, he organises numerous concerts and tours for his ensemble
and composes for choirs and orchestras. In 2018, his third public work, "Noor”
(Armenian for pomegranate) appeared. With the symbolic pomegranate he wanted to
place a clearly visible sign for peace and understanding in the Caucasus. Plus
sow seeds, of course. May his seeds grow and bear rich fruits.
Karen Asatrian Armenian Spirit Foto: Manfred Fiedler
www.armenianspirit.net
Karen Asatrian (Armenia/Austria)
The composer, jazz pianist and leader of the ensemble
ARMENIAN SPIRIT Karen Asatrian was born in 1972 in Yerevan, Armenia. After
graduating from the State Conservatory of Komitas in Yerevan, he left Armenia
in 1995 to Klagenfurt in Carinthia/Austria and graduated there with honors in
jazz-piano in 1999. His career till now was accompanied by various significant
highlights. One of them was 2007, when he recieved the Armenian Music Award in
the category of Best Jazz Album for his CD "Pathway”. From his creations to
date, is in particular the PRAYER WHEEL, which was composed by him on the
occasion of the centenary of the genocide against the Armenians, which was
performed at the 2016 Salzburg Festival. In addition to his artistic activities
and performances, Karen Asatrian is now a respected Jazz-Piano-Professor at the
Gustav-Mahler-University at Klagenfurt/Carinthia as well as at the University
of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna. For further Information and discography
please visit: www.asatrian.net
Rita Movsesian - vocals (Armenia/Iraq/Austria)
Rita committed herself to Armenian and Arabic music in
Baghdad/Iraq, where she was born and raised. After her move to Austria music
still remained the focus of the Armenian ex-patriot´s life. There she received
intensive vocal training from a wide variety of renowned coaches and enriched
her vocal-technique at the Salzburg Mozarteum in the fields of classical music
and jazz. There followed a great number of stage appearances both in Austria
and abroad, before Rita Movsesian struck upon several multifaceted projects and
international collaborations. Rita uses music as an intercultural link in
today's world and places her emphasis on the musical traditions of Armenia, as
she descends from an Armenian family that left their ancestral homeland in
Turkey due to the historical events in 1915 and consequently settled in Iraq.
Her voice reflects the multifaceted soul of Iraq as well as the passionate
spirit of Armenia.
Wolfgang Puschnig - sax (Austria)
One of the most prominent representatives of Austrian jazz
music after Joe Zawinul. A multi-instrumentalist, perfectly familiar with flute
and piccolo flute, alto and soprano saxophones, alto and bass clarinets, exotic
shakuhachi and hojok. Active in wide range of traditional and classical to
ethnic and avant-garde music. Elegiac intonations, melodious vocal expression
of lines and astounding virtuosity distinguish Puschnig and contribute to his
personal style.
Ante Jurinović - bass (Croatia/Austria)
Studied acoustic and electric bass at Klagenfurt
conservatory. Performances with Joe Zawinul caused more publicity and where
followed by several musical projects and jazz-recordings around Europe with
prominent musicians like Tamara Obrovac, Oliver Dragojevic, Matija Dedic, Gail
Anderson band, Wolfgang Puschnig, Galeria band, Waveform band, Jean Nolan,
Karen Asatrian and Hamlet Fiorilli and his Latin Jazz Experience. Master degree
in e-Bass.
Juan Carlos Sungurlian - oud & bouzouki
(Uruguay/Austria)
Studied at the conservatories of Montevideo (Uruguay) and
Yerevan (Armenia) and at the Music Academy Graz. Masterclasses in Fes
(Morocco), Istanbul (Turkey) and Seville (Spain). International concerts in
various formations and as a soloist. His own multicultural background (Spanish,
Armenian, Greek, German, Portuguese, French) is probably the reason for his
passionate interest in many different cultures and music traditions.
Reinhardt Winkler - drums & percussion (Austria/England)
Tours in Europe, USA and Asia. Cooperation with STS
(Austro-Pop), Terry Myers, Jamaaladeen Tacuma, to name just a few of his
collaborations with Star-Musicians on international basis. Since 1993 counts as
one of the most demanded drum-teachers in Austria.