Experimental vocalist and pianist Areni Agbabian is active across multiple disciplines, working in new opera, dance, contemporary jazz, new music and multi-media performance, combining folk idioms with sacred music and more. She first came to international attention with the groups of Tigran Hamasyan and draws deeply upon her Armenian heritage, reinterpreting sacred hymns, traditional tales, folk melodies and more, while interspersing these elements among her own evocative compositions.
In 2019 Areni released her ECM-debut Bloom with drummer Nicolas Stocker. Her unique and elegantly sparse musical approach was received with high praise, as Downbeat magazine noticed how “her vocal emphasizes sharp timing to convey a quiet minimalist power.” The Guardian spoke of "strong, effortlessly hummable melodies."
Experimental vocalist and pianist Areni Agbabian is active across multiple disciplines, working in new opera, dance, contemporary jazz, new music and multi-media performance, combining folk idioms with sacred music and more. She first came to international attention with the groups of Tigran Hamasyan and draws deeply upon her Armenian heritage, reinterpreting sacred hymns, traditional tales, folk melodies and more, while interspersing these elements among her own evocative compositions.
In 2019 Areni released her ECM-debut Bloom with drummer Nicolas Stocker. Her unique and elegantly sparse musical approach was received with high praise, as Downbeat magazine noticed how “her vocal emphasizes sharp timing to convey a quiet minimalist power.” The Guardian spoke of "strong, effortlessly hummable melodies."
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