ARMENIAN-CANADIAN GUITARIST LEVON ICHKHANIAN PERFORMS IN OLYMPIC TOUR
eJazzNews
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Aug 29 2008
Canada
Multi-instrumentalist/producer Levon Ichkhanian is in Beijing to
participate in a historic event uniting Western and Eastern stars
with artists living with disabilities on the world stage between the
Olympic and Paralympic games. He joins Shiela E, Dee Dee Bridgewater,
Oliver Jones, Taylor Dane and others on the Marriage of Excellence
Tour in China, with specially taped messages from Celine Dion, Chaka
Khan and Itzhak Perlman.
Held during the 10 days between the Olympics and Paralympic games,
the tour will demonstrate the power of the Arts in fostering
cross-cultural understanding and excellence that can be achieved when
we live the notion of "One World, One Dream" … the slogan for the
2008 Olympics. "I have always believed that music is the common voice
for all cultures, so it was an honour to be invited to perform and
represent my culture during the Tour," states Ichkhanian.
One of only 3 Canadians invited to participate, Levon will represent
his Armenian-Canadian heritage performing "Siroun" a traditional
Armenian piece, as well as one of his compositions commissioned by
the Nashville Chamber Orchestra "the Gift" with the Beijing Symphony
Orchestra at the historic Prince Jun Palace, built in the time of
the Qing Dynasty.
A versatile musician with large international appeal and experience,
Levon’s musical travels have connected him with a diverse group of
talented people from all cultures and styles of music from around
the world (A.R. Rahman, Hariharan, Peter Murphy, Isabel Bayrakdarian,
Janne Lappalainen from Varttina, among others). This has inspired Levon
to incorporate many different sounds in his music (e.g. Armenian,
Middle Eastern, Brazilian, Indian, etc) earning his recognition
for his efforts in blending cultural influences both in his live
performances and on his CDs. He is a sought after clinician and
teacher, having delivered hundreds of sessions across Canada, United
States and Europe, and was awarded the International Association of
Jazz Educator’s Award for "Outstanding Service to Jazz Education".