How It All Started...
Orchestra
The Armenian State Jazz Orchestra was founded in 1938 and became one of the first jazz bands of the USSR. Currently, it’s one of the best orchestras in the world, famous for its bright musicians and rich repertoire. We are proud of our partnership with celebrity jazz musicians (Dee Dee Bridgewater, Arturo Sandoval, Adam Rapa, Chico Freeman, John Marshall, Jamie Davis, Sharon Clark, Michael Mayo, Ronald Baker, Igor Butman and others) and are open to cooperation with young gifted musicians and composers.
The Armenian State Jazz Orchestra has held over 6,000 concerts, made tours to dozens of countries worldwide and participated in the most famous international jazz festivals. Saxophonist, composer, orchestrator Armen Hyusnunts has been the bandleader of the orchestra since 2010.
Armen Hyusnunts
Saxophonist, bandleader, composer, arranger,artistic director and conductor
Born on 28 December, 1966.
1984 – graduated from the Piano and Saxophone Department of the Sayat-Nova Music School, got admitted to the Yerevan Komitas State Conservatory, Saxophone Department;
1985 – 1987 – served in the army, in the Special Military Exemplary Band of the Honor Guard of Moscow city;
1991 – graduated from the Yerevan Komitas State Conservatory;
1993 – completed his postgraduate studies at the Yerevan Komitas State Conservatory;
1987 – engaged in pedagogical activities;
1988 – invited to the Artashes Kartalyan Jazz Quartet;
1988 – 1989 – sololist and the principal altoist in the State Jazz Orchestra under the leadership of Constantine Orbelian;
1990 – Hyusnunts is invited to the Armenian State Radio and TV Symphonic Jazz Orchestra as a soloist and saxophonist;
Along with playing jazz, Armen Hyusnunts also regularly performs classical and contemporary music. In 2000 he founded “ArtaSax” Saxophone Quartet, the repertoire of which mainly consists of classical or contemporary music, along with arrangements made by Hyusnunts specially for the saxophone quartet. Hyusnunts made a big contribution in the extension of saxophone quartet’s repertoire with his arrangements.
Hyusnunts' pedagogical activity continued in Yerevan State College of Pop and Jazz Art, where he has taught for six years (2000-2006) and at Yerevan State Conservatory from 2004 to 2006. Since 1997, Armen Hyusnunts has been working as the solo-saxophonist and music director of the Armenian State Jazz Orchestra. Armen's talent as a conductor, bandleader, composer and arranger reached its peak when he was appointed artistic director of the Armenian State Jazz Orchestra in 2010. The repertoire of the big band includes a large number of his compositions and arrangements.
Armen Hyusnunts has participated in numerous international festivals, toured with different groups in USA, Europe, Japan, Middle East аnd played with many famous artists, such as Vardan Ovsepyan, Armen Donelyan, Tigran Hamasyan, Hadriеn Feraud, Joe Zawinul, Richard Bona, Adam Rapa, etc. He has performed at numerous renowned events and tours, such as World Expo 2000 in German, Hannover, Beyt Hedin music festival in Lebanon (July, 2000), Vienna Jazz Festival (August 2001), Netherlands SKIF Festival (October 2001), Japan World Expo, Aichi (June 2005), Syria Jazz Caravan Festival (August, 2008), Dubai Jazz Festival (October 2008), Shanghai World Expo (June, 2010), Morgenland Festival Osnabrück (September 2016) and many other festivals and concerts across Europe and Asia.
Since 2010 – artistic director and conductor of the Armenian State Jazz Orchestra, whose repertoire also includes numerous arrangements and Armen Hyusnunt’s own musical pieces;
Since 2015 – tutor and leader of the Tchaikovsky State Music School Jazz Band;
Armen Hyusnunts has toured with different bands across the US, Europe, Japan, and the Middle East, performing with musicians such as Vardan Hovsepyan, Armen Donelian, Tigran Hamasyan, Hadrien Feraud, Joe Zawinul, Richard Bona, Adam Rapa and others. He’s also a participant of world-renowned expos and festivals, such as World Expo 2000 (Hanover, Germany), Beyt Hedin (Libya, 2000), Jazz Fest (Vienna, 2001), SKIF (Netherlands, 2001), Japan World Expo (Aichi, 2005), Caravan Jazz Festival (Syria, 2008), Jazz Festival (Dubai, 2008), Shanghai World Expo (2010).
