Tigran Martikyan
Pianist-Educator-Composer

In his native country Armenia, Tigran Martikayn began to teach himself accordion when he was only seven years old. He later took up cello, and was admitted to the Tigran Chukajian Music School, where he studied cello with Tiruhi Sargisian. After three years, he began to study piano as a secondary instrument under the guidance of Kathia Sahakian. He was soon honored with an unprecedented invitation to perform at the school's piano concert. Since the age of twelve he has been playing accordion professionally all over Armenia. He graduated from the Chukajain School in 1988.

When he was sixteen, Tigran immigrated to the United States, and soon won 2nd prize in a song writing competition sponsored by the LAIC Cultural Community Center that same year. Tigran got serious about the art of jazz after taking a few courses in the subject as a 20 year old music student at LA City College. Within a year, he had formed his own trio, and was soon performing in night clubs all around his adopted city.      

In 1998, Tigran earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Jazz studies and went on to receive his Masters Degree in Music from the Manhattan School of Music. He has gotten the attention of celebrities like Kelly Ripa, who talked about him on the ‘Kelly and Regis’ show on National Television. Tigran’s music has been aired several times on TV in the US, Middle East Asia and Europe. In 1998, Tigran won 1st prize at the Hilton Head Jazz Society Scholarship Competition, and has participated in several jazz piano competitions and concerts throughout the US and Europe. He has recived a number scholarships and certificates of achievent in music.

Nowadays Tigran is busy teaching, playing and composing music in New York city and abroad. Since 2001, he is the resident accompanist to “We Dance”, a children’s ballet institute founded and directed by Susannah Harris. He serves as the musical coordinator of the esteemed New York Film Synergy Group (www.filmsynergy.com) founded by director/actor/producer Tom Lassu. Tigran has worked as a pianist/actor in the film “the Necklace” written by Guy de Maupassant and directed by Anna Condo. He scored the short film ‘Make a night’ by James Mehr. At present, Tigran is working on a unique silent film “The Shiners” and “The Piano Man”, both written and directed by Tom Lassu.