Armenian pianist and composer Tigran Hamasyan brings his latest masterpiece to the Chan Centre this spring

The Chan Centre for the Performing Arts is thrilled to present Tigran Hamasyan – The Bird Of A Thousand Voices (Concert Version) on Saturday, March 15, 2025 at 8PM. Known for his genre-defying fusion of jazz, rock, and Armenian folk music, Hamasyan’s groundbreaking new work, The Bird Of A Thousand Voices, blends ancient storytelling with cutting-edge soundscapes. Tickets go on sale Thursday, November 7 at noon.

“Tigran Hamasyan is a musical visionary. This whole project is an immersive journey where past and future collide in a unique, mesmerizing way. In fact, one of the songs, “The Kingdom,” can be played as a video game at www.bird1000.com. He is exploring how his music can be felt and understood beyond just the listening experience. There are few others who are working and innovating at his level, and I cannot wait to see him perform this at the Chan Centre.”

David Fung, guest curator for the Chan Centre Presents series

The Bird of A Thousand Voices is inspired by the ancient Armenian tale of Hazaran Blbula, which was passed down orally for centuries as a bedtime story before being put to print in the Middle Ages. It tells the story of a hero who must travel into unseen realms to find and bring back a mythical bird, whose thousand different songs will awaken people and bring harmony back to the world. The work merges ancient traditions with modern sensibilities, blending jazz, rock, and electronic elements into a truly original musical landscape.

Since winning the Thelonious Monk International Piano Competition in 2006, Hamasyan has gained a devoted global following and earned praise from the likes of Brad Mehldau, Herbie Hancock, and the late Chick Corea. He has won numerous awards, including the Echo Jazz Award for International Piano Instrumentalist of the Year for his album Mockroot (2015), and two Deutscher Jazzpreis for The Call Within (2020). Hamasyan has garnered critical acclaim with The Guardian enthusing that his “vibrant, jazz-inflected and uninhibited angle on world-music has a very personal feel,” while NPR may sum up his music best: “You’ll hear nothing else like this.”