MICHAEL ASHJIAN
pianist, composer
Michael Ashjian is a Lebanese-Armenian pianist and composer born in Beirut. After high-school he pursues his Master’s of Arts from The State Conservatory Komidas in Yerevan- Republic of Armenia; class of Mrs. Armine Mokatsian, plus two years of Specialisation in Performing Piano Concert, with Professor Ivan Meliksetian, also following some part time composition courses.
After long series of classical concerts back in Beirut, in 2009 in a concert he called Miniatures, he finally materializes his dream of performing his own compositions.
Under the patronage of The Argentinean Embassy in Lebanon and accompanied again by his colleagues from The Lebanese National Higher Conservatory of Music, in 2010 he organizes a Live Tango Concert-Show, adding beautiful Lebanese tango dancers on UNESCO Palace’s stage, with the musicians’ live performance.
He recorded his first CD in Buenos Aires in 2011, Tangomania , with today’s tango stars of Argentina: Eva Wolff/Bandoneon, Pablo Agri/Violin, Jorge Perez Tedesco/Violoncello, Esteban Fallabella/Guitar, Daniel Falasca/Contra-bass and many more…
Then followed concerts :
at the American University of Beirut, a program from The Golden Ages of Argentinean Tango, with soprano Sevan Habib and a tango couple, Jana Younes and Nadim Choueiry. organized by Instituto Cervantes in Beirut.
14 talented musicians from The Lebanese National Higher Conservatory of Music at amphitheater P.Y.Aboukhater titled “Michael Ashjian’s Original Compositions”,
In 2014, first concert at Shoushi’s Art Museum in Artsakh-Armenia, under the patronage of Artsakh’s Ministry of Youth and Culture.
In 2017 at the amphitheater P.Y.Aboukhater titled Eterna Seduccion, performing pieces from contemporary Argentinean composers, pieces from Astor Piazzolla and many personal arrangements from the Golden Ages of Argentinean tango.