Tigran Hamasyan brings an ancient tale to life in The Bird of a Thousand Voices
Armenian pianist and composer draws on folklore and storytelling in an interdisciplinary project that’s supported by studio album
Tigran Hamasyan
Tigran Hamasyan—The Bird Of A Thousand Voices (Concert Version) is at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts on March 15
MUCH LIKE HIS transmedia project The Bird of a Thousand Voices, Armenian pianist and composer Tigran Hamasyan’s creative expansion has found its roots in folklore and storytelling.
By reintroducing a centuries-old tale, the genre-bending musician has embraced the project’s resonance across the world, and it is only the beginning.
On March 15, Hamasyan is gracing the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts with the concert version of The Bird of a Thousand Voices, an interdisciplinary project supported by the eponymous studio album. With a mission of having people experience music beyond simply listening, Hamasyan continues to honour his legacy as a jazz, rock, and Armenian folk–infused musician, and as a representative of Armenian excellence.
“It feels like it’s been a long time since this project was conceived, but at the same time, we’re just starting to tour and more things are going to be released,” says Hamasyan on a Zoom call from Yerevan. “It feels like we are in the midst of the journey, but so far, people are really into the multifaceted aspect of this project.”
Inspired by the Armenian folk tale “Hazaran Blbul,” it chronicles a hero who must travel into unknown realms to bring back a mythical bird, awaken the people, and bring harmony to the world. Though variations of the archetypal “firebird” story can be found in various cultures, its power through song is seen as unique to the Armenian tale.
When he began working on The Bird of a Thousand Voices in March 2020, Hamasyan quickly envisioned new possibilities beyond the conceptual album.
“After reading the story and starting to write the music, I realized this could be a much bigger project,” he explains. “You can probably tell through my music that I like to tell big stories, and this time around, I was like, ‘We have to do a big, multifaceted project to tell this story.’”
Such a feat may not have been top of mind when Hamasyan began experimenting on the piano at three years old, but his musical power was already well evident at a young age. By the time he was 18, Hamasyan had won the prestigious Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competition, and released his debut album, World Passion.
Despite his technical prowess and striking power, the foundations of The Bird of a Thousand Voices is built on narrative in addition to talent. On the 24-track album, his renowned mix of metric shifts, haunting vocalizations, and djent influences has been harnessed to a musical odyssey, tinged with dramatic tension and theatrical promise. Transforming his musical vision across mediums, however, has been a commitment rooted in collaboration as much as inspiration.
“I called my friend Ruben Van Leer, who’s an incredible director and artist,” Hamasyan says. “We wanted to do a big project together, not just for him to put visuals to music, but to really work on something together.”
In collaboration with Van Leer, audio-visual artist Boris Acket, and vocalist Areni Agbabian, Hamasyan debuted the project at the 2024 Holland Festival as a multidisciplinary theatrical experience, before the studio album release. “The Kingdom,” the album’s title track, can also be experienced as an interactive online game via his website. With more project-related releases in the works, including the launch of toy instruments, each incarnation remains focused on sharing the story and crossing barriers.
“It’s a story that mothers might tell their kids at bedtime,” Hamasyan explains. “It’s important for younger generations to grow up with stories and toys like this. There are so many different ways to interact with the story. There are archetypes in this story that can be found in many cultures around the world, and our aim is to awaken this bird in the audience and in the listeners. I’m looking forward to seeing how people grasp the size of this project.”
Alongside his thematic throughline, Hamasyan’s virtuosic improvisational skills remain present throughout his process. In particular, he notes “Flaming Horse and the Thunderbolt Sword” as an exercise in following his inner voice.
“It was supposed to be a different track with that name, but I made this song with the same melody two weeks before the record got mastered,” Hamasyan recalls. “I like when they just come and you feel it’s the right thing to do, and that this moment of creation still happens two or three years after everything has been pretty much recorded.”
For Hamasyan, the story’s resonance is due not simply to its Armenian roots or its musical core, but also to its profound message of bringing harmony into spaces and times of profound conflict.
As he begins a world tour across North America and Europe this year, he hopes to ignite and inspire new audiences through the immersive world of ancient myths, one song at a time.
“I would say I resonate with the feeling, or the soul aspect of the bird’s song,” says Hamasyan. “That’s what the music represents. In a way, I am a musical narrator, and when you’re in the music, I want people to think and feel what the bird song is.” 
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