Claude TCHAMITCHIAN
Double-bass player
Claude Tchamitchian was born in Paris on December 28th 1960. Everyone in the family played music, his father had been a pupil of Alfred Corto and his mother and brothers were all amateur pianists so he was brought up in a very stimulating atmosphere, where his parents constantly preferred to put all their spare money into a new record or book or tickets for a live show. He didn’t feel the urge to play himself until he was twenty years old, although he’d experienced his first musical shock at the age of fifteen, when he discovered John Coltrane and Albert Ayler. Thanks to the family record library, he listened to all sorts of jazz from its earliest beginnings, and spent a vast amount of time exploring this universe that was gradually opening up for him. After listening over and over again to the likes of Paul Chambers, Henry Grimes, Charlie Mingus and a bit later on, Barre Phillips, Dave Holland, Charlie Haden and Henri Texier, he finally decided to take up the double bass.
He spent three years teaching himself the instrument and playing mainly in clubs, then took up a place at Avignon Conservatoire in 1983 in Joseph Fabre’s class, studying in André Jaume’s jazz class at the same time. This particularly intense period of his life led to meetings with musicians such as Bruno Chevillon, Rémi Charmasson, Guillaume Orti, Bernard Santacruz, all pupils in the same classes as himself. He stayed at the Conservatoire for four years until he obtained his prizes in 1987.
Nowadays, he currently plays in solo and with :
Trio Courtois - Roy – Tchamitchian, "Even eden", with The Acoustic Lousadzak, "Lumières d’Etchmiadzine", with Jean-Marc Foltz, Edward Perraud and Christine Roillet, "Äänet", with Rémi Charmasson, Stephan Oliva and Jari Hongisto, "Next to you", with Daunik Lazro, Raymond Boni and Joe McPhee, New Lousadzak « Human songs », Andy Emler Trio and MegaOctet, Angélique Ionatos « Eros y muerte »
Some biographical landmarks of the last past years
2008
• Creation of "Even eden", with The Acoustic Lousadzak :
Elise Caron (voc, fl) / Guillaume Roy & Régis Huby (alto & vl) / Guillaume Humery & Jean-Marc Foltz (cl) / Andy Emler (p) / Rémi Charmasson & Raymond Boni (g) / Ramon Lopez (dr, perc) C. Tchamitchian (cb, comp.)
• French tour with 4tet "Next to you"
• Recordings of « Midnight Torsion », by Eric Watson (p), with Elise Caron (voc) and Régis Huby (vl) and of « Ascension, tombeau de John Coltrane », from a jazz poem of Franck Medioni with Ramon Lopez (dms, perc.), Sylvain Kassap (cl) and Denis Lavant (voc)
2007
• Creation of "Lumières d’Etchmiadzine", musical journey in lights, inspired by S. Paradjanov ; with Jean-Marc Foltz (cl) and Edward Perraud (dms, perc.) and Christine Roillet (play)
• Duet with Barre Phillips (cb), with Nathalie Negro (piano), with Maxime Delpierre (g)
• Creation of "Même la nuit", musical short stories from "C’est Egal" of Agota Kristof with Christine Roillet (acting)
• "Lettres", choreographic and musical piece, music by Eric Watson, choreography by Charles Cré-Ange, with E. Watson (piano), Claudia Solal (voc), Régis Huby (vl) and Claude Tchamitchian (cb)
• "Need Eden", creation of Michael Nick (vl), with Maxime Iannarelli &
Yasmine Hugonnet (dance)
• Sébastien Texier trio (with Sean Carpio and Claude Tchamitchian) invite Henri Texier
• "Eros y Muerte", creation of Angélique Ionatos with A. Ionatos (voc, g), Michael Nick (vl), Cesar Stroscio (bandoneon) and Claude Tchamitchian (cb)
2006
• Recording and tour (9 dates in France & Switzerland) of "Human Songs"
• Trio Arco : Vincent Courtois (cello) – Guillaume Roy (vl) - Claude Tchamitchian (b)
• Duo avec Médéric Collignon (pocket tp, voc)
• Tour in Finland with Trio Oliva / Charmasson / Tchamitchian – Meeting, concerts and master-classes with 3 finnish musicians, Jari Hongisto (tb), Hekki Nikula (cl), Verneri Pohjola (tp)
• Creation of "Rain Behind Eyes", from and with Michaël Nick (vl), Eric Echampard (dr), Dave Liebman (ss) and Guillaume Humery (cl). Concerts in Marseilles, Paris, Nancy
Projects for 2009
• Creation of " Ways Out", 4tet with Christophe Marguet, Rémi Charmasson & Régis Huby
• Tour in december with the Trio Courtois-Roy-Tchamitchian
• "Rhythms Meeting", project of
François Lindemann : on tour in Morocco, Indonesia, Thailand and India
• Creation of "Tout ira mieux demain”, a show of musical poetry with Christine Roillet & Corinne Frimas (play), Nathalie Négro (p) & Claude Tchamitchian (cb)
Other Activities
Claude Tchamitchian has always been one to venture into other musical universes. (classical music with, for example "Don Giovanni" at the Nice Opera, electroacoustic music with "Poussière de Pluie", a work for electroacoustic orchestra and traditional Vietnamese instruments in 1995, theatre in 2005 with "Le cadavre vivant" by Tolstoï, produced by Julie Brochen or, in 2001, "La Raison d’Etre de la Littérature" by Gao Xinjiang, produced and adapted for the actor and two musicians by Serge Avedikian, literature with the creation in 2007 of "Même la nuit", ‘‘Nouvelles musicales” from "C’est Egal" of Agota Kristof or with "The Book of Intranquillity" after Fernando Pessoa, a musical reading by François Marthouret and Claude Tchamitchian in 1999, dance with "Letters" in 2007, choreographic and musical piece of Eric Watson (music) and Charles Cré-Ange (choreography), "Le Trajet" in 1998 and "Les 36 Tangos" in 1997, both of them choreographied by Geneviève Sorin...
Besides, he is in greater and greater demand for projected residencies and teaching activities :
• 2008: master-classes at the CNSMDP of Paris, with the class of Riccardo Del Fra
• 2006 and 2007: Course at the Conservatoire National de Région of Aubervilliers, near Paris
• 2005 and 2006: Courses at University of Paris IV
• 2004: Master-classes with G. Mouradian: “Des modes arméniens aux musiques improvisées européennes”, Département des Musiques Orales et Improvisées de la Fondation Royaumont, Abbaye de Royaumont
• 2003: Course and practical improvisation in Le Pallet, at the festival Jazz sur Lie
• 2002: Course and practical improvisation at the jazz festival of the Côtes d’Armor
• 2001: Musician-in-residence for one year at the Mulhouse School of Music, with course on improvisation at the Mulhouse Festival
• 1999: One year residency for Lousadzak with the AJMI and throughout the country of Vaucluse
• 1995 to 1998: Associate artist with the "Scène Nationale" of Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines
• 1992: Residency of the Jacques Di Donato Quintet in Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy
Selective discography
« Aquarian forest », Äänet, Emouvance, 2008
« Eros y Muerte », Angélique Ionatos, Naïve, 2007
« West in peace », Andy Emler’s MegaOctet, Nocturne, 2007
« Human songs », New Lousadzak, Emouvance, 2006
« Next to you», 4tet McPhee / Lazro / Boni / Tchamitchian, Emouvance, 2006
« A quelle distance sommes-nous ? », Andy Emler’s trio, In Circum Girum, 2006
« Le soufflé aux éclisses», with Jean-Luc Cappozzo, La nuit transfigurée, 2004
« Confessions », Linda Sharrock trio, Quinton, 2004
« Le monde est une fenêtre », in duet with Gaguik Mouradian, Emouvance, 2003
« Pentacle », Sophia Domancich Quintet, Sketch, 2003
« L’ombre de la Pluie », trio Charmasson / Jullian / Tchamitchian, ajmiseries, 2002
« Potemkine », Arfi, 1997
« Monsieur Claude », Claude Barthélémy Quartet, ZZ, 1997
« Jardins Ouvriers », François Corneloup Trio, Evidence, 1998
« Bassma Suite », by Le Grand Lousadzak, Emouvance, 1998
« Tenga NiÑa », Jacques Thollot 4tet, Nato, 1996
« Ké Gats », duet with Raymond Boni, Emouvance, 1995
« Tout de Suite », Yves Robert's quartet, ZZ, 1995
« Lousadzak », Claude Tchamitchian Septet, Emouvance, 1994
« Est », trio with Gérard Marais and Jacques Mahieux, Hopi, 1994
« Clic », Jacques Di Donato Quintet, Pan Music, 1993
« Jeu d'Enfants », contrebasse solo, Pan Music, 1993
« Caminando », duet with Rémi Charmasson, Celp, 1990
« Novembre », trio with J.P. Jullian and Stephan Oliva, Owl Records, 1990
« Cinoche », trio with André Jaume and Rémi Charmasson, Celp, 1988
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