Civilnet
For those who know where to listen, there’s a rich and vibrant Armenian jazz scene pulsing beneath Yerevan’s surface, one that’s both deeply rooted in tradition and boldly reaching into new sonic territory.
Armenian jazz didn't just appear out of nowhere. It has a surprisingly long and colorful backstory that begins in the early 20th century, just as jazz itself was making its way across the world.
In the 1930s, even under Soviet rule, Armenia saw its first jazz bands emerge, something of a quiet rebellion in a system that didn't always welcome Western musical influence. One of the earliest pioneers was Artemi Ayvazyan, a Soviet Armenian composer and conductor, who in 1938 founded the State Jazz Orchestra of Armenia, making it one of the first official jazz orchestras in the entire Soviet Union.
What’s particularly fascinating is how Armenian musicians managed to blend the complex rhythms and modal scales of traditional Armenian music—think Ashugh ballads and church chants—with the improvisational energy of American jazz. The intricate modal scales and asymmetrical rhythms (like 5/8 or 10/8) of Armenian folk music have made jazz fusion both organic and innovative. The result became something entirely unique. Not just jazz with an accent, but a genre that carries the weight of Armenian history, tragedy, and resilience while still swinging hard.
During the Soviet era, jazz in Armenia had to find clever ways to exist. Musicians often operated under the radar, weaving jazz harmonies into film scores or state-sanctioned "Estrada" music, which was more acceptable to the authorities. Some legends like Konstantin Orbelyan used big band arrangements to cloak jazz sensibilities under an official sheen. Meanwhile, more adventurous players kept pushing the boundaries, especially as jazz gained underground momentum in the 1960s and 70s.
One lesser-known chapter of Armenian jazz history is its quiet diaspora. Armenian musicians living abroad, especially in the U.S., France, and Lebanon, were exploring similar ideas in parallel, often fusing jazz with traditional instruments like the oud or kanun. Pianist Tigran Hamasyan, probably the most internationally recognized Armenian jazz artist today, draws from this deep well, blending folk melodies with polyrhythms and experimental phrasing that defy easy categorization.
In recent years, Yerevan has become something of a jazz hub in its own right. Hidden basements and smoky clubs echo with jam sessions that stretch into the early morning hours. Young musicians are reviving old folk songs with piano and upright bass. Just look at the thousands who gathered at the Yerevan Cascade for International Jazz Day on April 30, 2025, a clear testament that jazz is alive and thriving in Armenia. The nation continues to celebrate and honor exceptional musicians like Levon Malkhasyan—better known as Malkhas—a pianist, composer, and owner of the renowned Malkhas Jazz Club. In 1998, he founded the Jazz-Art organization, which launched the first Yerevan Jazz Festival, uniting ensembles from the United States, Russia, France, Slovakia, Sweden, and Georgia. That inaugural event was a milestone in Armenia’s jazz history. Today, at the vibrant age of 80, Malkhas continues to perform with unwavering passion, firmly regarded as a living legend of Armenian jazz.
Rafael Petrossian and Sona Gyulkhasyan born and raised in Yerevan are among the most compelling voices in contemporary Armenian jazz. As a seasoned jazz pianist and an expressive vocalist, the duo brings a fresh sensibility to the genre by blending rich Armenian folk traditions with the improvisational freedom of jazz.
“For Sona and me, jazz is an obsession,” says Rafael Petrossian, who leads a band featuring talented musicians such as bassist Nikoghayes Vardanyan, Harut Harutyunyan, and Herbert Avustanyan on drums. “We think and breathe jazz all day,” he adds. “There isn’t a single moment when Sona and I can imagine doing anything else.”
Sona was influenced early on by her parents, who were avid listeners of Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald. She developed an interest in music at the young age of four, learning to sing and later participating in numerous music competitions. Her biggest influences remain Fitzgerald and the contemporary jazz singer and composer Cécile McLorin Salvant.
Another major figure in Armenian jazz is the internationally acclaimed American jazz pianist Joel A. Martin. Deeply moved and inspired by the music of Rev. Father Komitas, Martin became enamored with Komitas' compositions upon first hearing them. In early 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic began, he launched “Jazzical Komitas”, a project that reimagines Komitas’ melodies in a jazz style.
Joel A. Martin presented his solo recital, Jazzical Komitas: Passion of Fire, at the Komitas Chamber Music House in Yerevan on June 23,2022 for the first time. The program featured jazz arrangements of works by Komitas and other Armenian composers, blending classical and jazz elements. This performance was part of his efforts to bring Armenian music to a global audience and was associated with his album aiming for Grammy recognition in the Best World/Global Music category for 2022-2023.
So no, Armenian jazz might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word "Armenia." But maybe it should be. Because somewhere between the echoes of ancient churches and the clink of glasses in a dim-lit club, there’s a new kind of music telling an old story—with a rhythm all its own.
By Vartan Esenyan
Vartan Esenyan is an Armenian Volunteer Corps intern at CivilNet.
Stories
