bio (short)
Born into a family of musicians, Levon Ichkhanian's 1st professional gig was at the age of 13. Over the past 33 years, his knowledge has spanned over all areas of music - performing, composing, writing, recording, touring, producing and contracting in Jazz, World & Traditional genres. Levon plays fretless & fretted electric & acoustic Guitars, Oud, Bouzoukis, Banjitar & Mandolin. He’s toured the world with his band & with artists as Peter Murphy (Bauhaus) & A.R. Rahman. He performed at the Beijing Olympics & at numerous jazz, guitar & folk festivals. Levon has 3 solo CDs, featuring Grammy winners John Patitucci (Chick Corea), Paquito D'Rivera (Calle 54), & Bernard Purdie, and former UZEB member Alain Caron. He’s played on over 100 recordings including the Canadian Idol soundtrack, and for artists as Isabel Bayrakdarian and India’s Hariharan. Levon composed for the Nashville Chamber Orchestra and created soundtracks for filmmakers as Atom Egoyan, David Suzuki, and for notable productions as "the Passionate Eye". Levon’s improvisation skills and music explorations form the basis for his workshops / master classes conducted worldwide, and for his published articles. He played bouzouki in the world premiere stage production of Lord of the Rings, & was an orchestra member / contractor for other shows including Spamalot, My Fair Lady, Robin Hood & 3 Mo’ Divas. Recently, Levon contracted the orchestra for Canadian Tenors first PBS Special with guests David Foster and Sarah McLaughlin. A recognized member of the North American musical community, Levon was awarded the International Association of Jazz Educator's Award for "Outstanding Service to Jazz Education". Levon is currently performing in the Dora Award winning Toronto stage production of Jersey Boys.
Travels "is a real tour de force - Levon's most ambitious album yet" MUZIK ETC
"Travels is a worthwhile listen for any musician out there. Featuring contributions from heavyweights such as Alain Caron and Wilson Laurencin, the album blends many styles seamlessly together for an enjoyable listen" CANADIAN MUSICIAN MAGAZINE
'Guitarist Levon Ichkhanian's Armenian Heritage makes his melding of jazz and world music seam natural . . . a fabulous player" WINNIPEG FREE PRESS
After Hours is "one of the most original efforts of the year" JAZZTIMES
**** " The more one listens to this CD, the more one realizes how much there is to admire about Ichkhanian" ALL MUSIC GUIDE