Biography

Contemporary jazz with world beat overtones aptly describes the music of Canadian/Armenian multi-instrumentalist/composer Levon Ichkhanian. A third generation musician and artist of great versatility, Levon is proficient on the fretted and fretless guitars, oud, bouzouki, mandolin and banjitar. Levon's musical odyssey first took shape in Lebanon.

"I had several monumental experiences growing up which had a rich influence on me culturally and musically. My Dad exposed me to jazz and continental music letting me sit in during his band rehearsal, and as the musical director for shows. The family would travel with him to places like Yemen, Jordan and Cyprus. My Uncles Joseph and Jacques introduced classical and flamenco guitar music to me. Joseph would often host gatherings filled with musicians, dancers and painters celebrating their art. I also have vivid memories of spending summer trips with my family to the Northern part of Lebanon. At night there would be parties filled with traditional Armenian and popular Arabic music (Adiss and Fairuz were the favorites), dancing and lots of food that went on until the small hours of the night. These experiences have influenced me profoundly in my music and in my person, as I continue to further explore the future".

Levon studied classical guitar under the direction of his uncle, Professor Joseph Ichkhanian. At the age of twelve, his family immigrated to Canada. One year later, he gravitated to the electric guitar and began his professional performing career, playing in a band with his jazz pianist father Edouard. Levon’s first professional gig was at the age of 13 with Adiss, the pioneer modern Armenian singer.

Levon's talent was sufficiently recognized throughout his formative years by various awards, most notably by the Canadian All Star Jazz Award received at the age of sixteen. Private studies with many different teachers followed suit, as did several scholarships, in particular one bestowed by the Ontario Arts Council, granting him the opportunity to attend workshops at the University of Toronto. Later, Levon had the opportunity to study with world-renowned musicians Pat Martino, Jim Hall Steve Khan and Simon Shaheen.

Over the past 30 years, Levon's scope of knowledge has spanned over all areas of music - performing, composing, recording, touring, and producing in several genres including Jazz, World and Traditional music. Over the past several years, Levon has added music contracting to his repertoire of expertise.

A recipient of the Governor General of Canada's acknowledgment for musical excellence, Levon has been recognized as a musical ambassador to Canada. He shared the stage with Dee Dee Bridgewater, Oliver Jones, Taylor Dane for a 2008 Olympic Tour of China. He has toured extensively throughout North America and Europe, performing at festivals and concert halls such as Peter Gabriel's WOMAD, MIDEM (Cannes), Chet Atkins Musician Days (Nashville), All Star Guitar Night (Los Angeles), Montreal Jazz Festival and Pizza Express Jazz Club (London, UK) to name a few, in addition to touring with notables as Peter Murphy (of Bauhaus fame), Marisa Lindsay (singing sensation from Barbados) and A.R. Rahman's (multiple award winner for Slumdog Millionaire) 3D World Tour which took Levon to India, Singapore, Dubai and the United Kingdom.

As a session musician, Levon has played on over one hundred diverse commercial recordings including The Canadian Idol's gold selling C.D., India's renowned singer Hariharan's latest Waqt Par Bolna, soprano and multiple Juno Award winner Isabel Bayrakdarian's Tango Notturno. He also performed on numerous soundtracks for films, commercials and television, including environmentalist David Suzuki's Nature of Things, the CBC documentaries Daughters of Afghanistan and Robbing the Cradle of Civilization (New York Festival's Silver World Medal winner for Television Documentary [International]), and AR Rahman's Guru, Sivaji and Rang De Basanti. He has also composed for the Nashville Chamber Orchestra and the Atlantic Jazz Society, scored soundtracks for the likes of acclaimed filmmaker Atom Egoyan, as well as produced artists C.D.s, concerts. He has performed in and/or contracted stage productions as The Lord of the Rings, the Dora Award wining Toronto procudtion of Jersey Boys, Miss Saigon, Rogers and Hammerstein's South Pacific, Disney's The Lion King, Wicked, My Fair Lady, 3 Mo’ Divas, Spamalot, Toxic Avenger, Robin Hood, Chicago as well as productions with the Canadian Tenors, David Foster, Sarah McLaughlin, and Paul Anka. He was the arranger and music coordinator for Andrew Moodie’s Language of the Heart, and was part of the creative team for Twyla Tharp’s Come Fly Away, which recently debuted on Broadway.

Levon has appeared on Bet on Jazz (the 24 Hour Jazz Station) and has been featured on the CBC, TNN, TVO, CITY TV and Global Television. He has published articles in such magazines as Guitar Player and Canadian Musician, and has also been the subject of cover features for magazines as Canadian Musician, Musicopro and most recently Muzik Etc. As a recognized figure in the music community, Levon endorses Godin Guitars and D’Addario Strings.
With this wealth of experience, the decision to record a CD of his own was inevitable. His debut, "after hours", blends Armenian/Middle Eastern melodies with contemporary jazz, featuring instruments from around the world, including the doudouk (Armenian wind instrument), tabla, bouzouki, and accordion. Featured musicians include Grammy award winners and world-renowned artists John Patitucci (bass) and Paquito D'Rivera (sax/clarinet). Distributed by Mediterrano Productions, "after hours" was an Armenian Music Award nominee for Best Jazz Album, and reached #1 Indie and Top 10 Jazz on HMV Charts.

Levon’s follow up C.D. “Travels”, winner of the best in jazz/fusion category 2002 Armenian Music Awards, is a collection of Levon’s compositions encompassing styles from Middle Eastern to Brazilian grooves and melodies, and features Alain Caron on fretless bass and Ernie Tollar on Ney and Bansuri flutes. Both CDs received rave reviews in All Music Guide to Jazz, Jazztimes, The Jazz Report, Canadian Musician, Gitarist, Horizon and Nor Gyank magazines to name a few.

Levon will be returning to the studio to record his next CD and is putting the finishing touches to an improvisation method book. He also keeps busy with World Sinfonia, aimed at establishing an ongoing presence of Toronto’s musical diversity at home, on world stages, cultural meets and international events, and leading guitar players from various backgrounds in Guitars for Peace.