Announcement: A Summer Armenian Jazz Night

NEW YORK, NY— A “Summer Armenian Jazz Night,” featuring talented Armenian professional performers Roma Bagajian on vocals, Liya Grigoryan on piano and David Hovanisyan on saxophone, will take place on Friday, June 17, 2022 at 7 pm at St. Illuminator’s Armenian Cathedral, located at 221 E. 27th Street in New York City.

A professional pianist born in Armenia and currently living in New York, Grigoryan studied at the Kim Nazaretov Jazz School and soon began winning awards at International Jazz Competitions for jazz musicians and touring Europe as part of a young jazz collective. She continued her education with a master’s in jazz performance art from Conservatorium van Amsterdam in the Netherlands, while touring with the East-West Jazz Orchestra and collaborating with well-known jazz musicians.

Hovanisyan, a native of New York, is a tenor saxophonist, composer and producer, who is continuing his musical education in jazz studies at New York University. In addition to the saxophone, he also plays the piano, clarinet and flute. Hovanisyan, a graduate of the Kaufman Music Center, where he won numerous competitions and prizes, is the founder of the quartet “Sharp Eleven” and a member of the “Train Gang.”

“Being of Armenian background, one of my long-term goals is to study and incorporate Armenian sounds and nuances into my jazz playing,” said Hovanisyan. “I have an open mind in music and am always curious to find and merge new sounds.”

Bagajian, a singer-songwriter who possesses a distinct, soulful baritone, has training in the classical and jazz genres. Born into a musical family, he was inspired by his opera singer mother and plays regularly at music venues around New York City.

“Liya, David and I are excited to perform as a jazz trio for our Armenian community, and we look forward to playing musical pieces from the Great American Songbook, soul classics, and our favorite Armenian folk songs.”