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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.
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