Award-winning Armenian pianist performs on historical island in Turkey's east

Award-winning Armenian jazz pianist Tigran Hamasyan performed a concert on June 23 outside the Akdamar Church on the historical Akdamar Island in the eastern province of Van.

The concert on Akdamar Island was "vigorous," said Tamar Nalc?, the project coordinator at Anadolu Kültür (Anatolian Culture), a non-profit cultural institution that organized Hamasyan's concerts in Turkey.

"Tigran Hamasyan is a reputable Armenian jazz pianist who performs mini concerts at historical sites and churches with the company of the state chamber choir of Armenia [Hover]. This is a concert of church music.

Tigran Hamasyan is accompanied by a group of 25 musicians. This has been our second concert. It attracted much interest. The concert was vigorous," Nalc? said after the concert held on the historical island.
 
Van Deputy Mayor Cahit Bozbay and Geva? District Mayor Sinan Hakan were among the attendees of the concert, along with a number of local residents. 

Hamasyan will continue performing in various Turkish provinces until June 30 in a project called "Luys i Luso." He will also perform in 100 churches in Armenia, Georgia, Lebanon, France, Belgium, Switzerland, Czech Republic, England, Germany, Luxembourg, Russia and the U.S. 

Hamasyan, 27, who started playing piano at the age of three and won the Montreux Jazz Festival in 2003 and the Thelonious Monk Institute piano contest at the age of 18, performs traditional Armenian music in his concerts. 

The 90-minute event at the ancient ruins drew great interest from the audience. The master pianist was accompanied by the Yerevan State Chamber Music Choir under the baton of Harutyun Topikyan.