Says the young member of the “jazz family” saxophonist David Melkonyan
People in Armenia became interested in jazz since the 1920s, in 1930s jazz ensembles by various groups were formed, the most notable of them is the Tsolak Vardazaryan’s group. The first official jazz band was Armenia’s state jazz orchestra founded in 1938 under the composer Artemi Ayvazyan. In 1950-1960, jazz was widely spread in our country. During this period, nowadays well-known names and groups became recognized, including Levon Malkhasyan’s jazz quartet, Armen Tutunjyan, Arthur Abrahamyan and Alexander Zakharyan. In 1970, new talented jazzmen David Azaryan, Artashes Kartalyan, Boris Andreasyan, Michael Zakharyan, etc. appeared on the stage. In 1970, Armenia’s state jazz band under the conductor Konstantin Orbelian gained popularity in the Soviet Union, and it was the first orchestra in the USSR that left for the jazz homeland the USA, where is performed 25 concerts in different cities. This is a brief description of the Armenian jazz. Today, jazz music is greatly welcomed among Armenians. Frequently organized various local and international events collect full halls and, most importantly, in front of our audience a “jazz generation change” is taking place.
Recently, the “Yerevanfest” international jazz festival was conducted first time hosting musicians from Russia, France, Austria, Georgia, as well as the famous American jazz vocalist and bass guitarist Richard Bona, our compatriot from Beirut Artur Sargsyan, jazz vocalist Hubert Tabs … On the days of the festival, “Aravot” paid attention to saxophonist Davit Melkonyan, who is still a postgraduate student at Yerevan Komitas State Conservatory (class of Prof. Alexander Manukyan). We have often seen this musician in the staff of Yervand Yerznkyan’s pop-symphonic and Armen Husnunts’s jazz orchestras, in Armen Tutunjyan’s quintet, Vahagn Hayrapetyan’s “The Cats,” Karen Mamikonyan’s band, Michael Voskanyan’s FUSION…
Talking about Davit Melkonyan, the specialists, in addition to his talent, mention not only the young man’s classical, conservatory education (the saxophonist participated in 8-9 competitions, including international) and the fact of winning the main prize at the 8th International competition of young jazz performers in the city of Rostov, Russia, some 2-3 years ago, but also his family where the young man was educated a high music art. His grandfather is a well-known composer, honored artist of Armenia, Yuri Harutyunyan, his mother is harpist Zara Harutyunyan, his father is double bass player Hrant Melkonyan. In the interview with us, the musician says that his family was and is still the most demanding audience to his art. “There were times when they were giving me direction, encouraging and criticizing, but now they treat me like an established musician.”
As to how the saxophonist “anchors” into the field of jazz, Davit Melkonyan first recalled that his family was “seeing” him as a pianist. “I was attending piano lessons with tears and urged by my parents and my grandfather… At this moment, I do not remember, but one day I discovered the saxophone for me… Today, I am grateful that even though forced they have taken me to the piano lessons. I am still attracted by the classical music, which I have not abandoned at all. Eventually, classical is the base of everything, the academicals. During my years of study at the Conservatory, I made my first jazz “steps” with Gurgen and Movses Ebejyans, Armen Peshtmaljyan and my other friends … It was then that I established creative cognition and friendship with well-known jazzmen Vahagn Hayrapetyan, Armen Tutunjyan, Simon Dolmazyan, Arthur Grigoryan, Tigran Suchyan, Karen Mamikonyan and others.”
Davit Melkonyan presented his “guest performance” schedule, jokingly saying that this year he was not absent from Armenia only in March. Playing for about 10 years on the professional stage, in cooperation with various groups, the musician played in the United States, South Korea, Russia and elsewhere. Speaking generally about his already preferred and life companion jazz music, our interlocutor expressed the following thought, “As the classical music is specific to each nation, so as jazz. This is a universal achievement or merit.” During the conversation, we referred to Davit Melkonyan’s younger brother, Daniel. The trumpeter, who is still a student at the Tchaikovsky Music School, at Gurgen Sargsyan’s class, won the “Bronze Nutcracker” at the “Nutcracker” international competition in Russia in 2014. Davit said that his brother is also interested in jazz, he listens from traditional jazz to Tigran Hamasyan. According to our sources that the Melkonyan-Harutyunyan musical family is supplemented by one more musician, specifically, David’s wife is a singer, our interlocutor confirmed, detailing that he has met his wife, the political scientist by profession and a jazz singer Anna Kostanyan, at the working career, specifically, at the evening jazz music at the clubs.
Samvel DANIELYAN
