Astghik Martirosyan Performs Live

Summary

All Of It with Alison Stewart – Astghik Martirosyan Performs Live

Date: November 14, 2023
Podcast: All Of It (WNYC)
Guest: Astghik Martirosyan (Pianist, Composer, Vocalist)
Episode Theme: Exploring identity, culture, and musical innovation with Armenian-born, New York–based artist Astghik Martirosyan, including conversation and live performance from her debut album "Distance."

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Episode Overview

This episode celebrates the intersection of cultural heritage, jazz, and personal expression through the artistry of Astghik Martirosyan. Host Alison Stewart invites Martirosyan to discuss her roots, her fusion of jazz with Armenian folk tradition, and the emotional currents underlying her debut album, "Distance," shaped by separation, conflict, and longing for peace. The episode is highlighted by live performances in the studio.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction to Astghik Martirosyan & "Distance"

• Alison Stewart introduces Martirosyan as an Armenian-born, New York–based musician blending jazz with Armenian folk.
• The creation of the album "Distance" was deeply influenced by Martirosyan's experience of the COVID-19 pandemic and the conflict in Armenia (02:00).
• Her music is described as an emotional response to the turmoil, transforming pain and hope for peace into sound.

2. The Story Behind "Silence" and Artistic Beginnings

• Martirosyan on "Silence":
  • Inspiration came from Emily Dickinson's poem: “I many times thought peace had come when peace was far away.”
  • Written during the 2020 war, while Martirosyan was isolated in Boston.
  • Formed the emotional cornerstone of the album and was chosen as the opening track (03:15).
  • Quote:
    • “That was the moment that I really felt like I’m ready to write music and put this into music. And I guess ‘Silence’ is where it all started.” (03:50)
• Live Performance:
  • Performed “Silence” with Joe Martin (bass) and Carl Uzbek (drums) (04:25–09:09).
• Reaction:
  • Alison Stewart: “That was beautiful. Thank you so much for that.” (09:09)

3. Musical Upbringing and Introduction to Jazz

• Martirosyan’s background:
  • Born into a musician’s family; mother is an opera singer.
  • Born in St. Petersburg, raised surrounded by music and theaters.
  • Piano studies began at age 5 by family expectation but became “part of me, really.” (09:25)
• Discovering Jazz:
  • Introduced to jazz via the Armenian State Jazz Orchestra, thanks to a family connection.
  • Inspired by attending orchestra rehearsals and received mentorship from Armen Husnunt.
  • First jazz performance at age 14, and spent 5 years performing with the orchestra (10:05–11:03).
  • Memorable quote:
    • “I heard the orchestra for the first time and I was so inspired.” (10:34)

4. Armenian Musical Notation and Folk Tradition

• Armenian Notation System:
  • Earliest form “Khazr” originates in the 7th/8th century; now only a few can read it.
  • Modernized in 14th century and primarily used for religious and folk music.
  • Armenian intervals are distinct and “impossible to notate with Western notation system.” (11:27)
• Cultural Rhythms:
  • Folk music’s rhythm and sound often stem from the nuances of the Armenian language and regional dialects.
  • The way questions are asked or lyrics are phrased deeply informs the flow and mood of folk melodies.
  • Quote:
    • “The way certain dialects dictate rhythmic structure or a way of saying things...we might not know the lyric, but based on a melody, we might understand what region that song is coming from.” (13:16)

5. Demonstrating Armenian Folk Influence

• Martirosyan discusses how folk forms travel and transform based on region and dialect.
  • Example: Songs from the region of Van are recognizable by their rhythmic structure and melodic phrasing.
  • Songs mutate in meaning and sound as they move between regions; lyrics and context adapt with migration and history.
• Quote:
  • “You see more songs who come from more mountain regions where everyday life is kind of completely different, and they think about their own story, which is completely different, let’s say, than what the story would be from in Van.” (15:45)

6. The Role of Folk Song in Personal Healing—"Summer Night"

• Before moving to the US, Martirosyan rarely performed folk songs, though she was influenced by her mentor, Alina Pahlevanyan.
• The 2020 war (Nagorno-Karabakh conflict) prompted her to reconnect with Armenian folk music as a source of healing and personal connection.
  • “I was trying to find ways to reconnect, to heal, to express so many emotions, to feel more connected to Armenia. And folk songs were an amazing outlet for that.” (16:18)
• “Summer Night” is a song from her ancestral region of Van, depicting scenes of communal joy and nostalgia for peaceful village life.
• Live Performance:
  • “Summer Night” closes the content section of the episode (18:56–23:34).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On inspiration from poetry and war:
  • Martirosyan: “I many times thought peace had come when peace was far away.” (Emily Dickinson, quoted at 03:15)
• On the roots of her musicianship:
  • Martirosyan: “Music was kind of always in my life, and I studied piano since I was 5… But then it just became part of me, really.” (09:25)
• On the impact of language and region on folk music:
  • Martirosyan: “Oftentimes we might not hear… the lyric, but based on a melody, we might understand… what region that song is coming from.” (13:16)
• On folk song as emotional bridge:
  • Martirosyan: “During the war I was dreaming about that view.” (“Summer Night,” 17:54)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:59] – Show begins, artist introduction, context for the album
• [03:15] – Story behind “Silence” and influences
• [04:25]–[09:09] – Live in-studio performance: “Silence”
• [09:19]–[11:03] – Personal background, family, introduction to jazz
• [11:27]–[13:04] – Armenian musical notation and unique musical intervals
• [13:16]–[15:45] – Regional differences, language’s influence on Armenian folk
• [16:18] – Healing through Armenian folk, “Summer Night” backstory
• [18:56]–[23:34] – Live studio performance: “Summer Night”

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Conclusion

This intimate musical conversation explores how personal and historical upheaval fuel artistic innovation. Astghik Martirosyan’s blending of jazz and Armenian folk, informed by linguistic and cultural traditions, is a moving bridge across distance—geographic, generational, and emotional. Her live performances in this episode offer listeners both artistry and insight into a world shaped by memory, longing, and resilience.

Transcript

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[McDonald's Customer]

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[Astrik Martirozian]

All right unc.

[McDonald's Employee / Singer]

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[Alison Stewart]

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Listener support at WNYC Studios.

[Alison Stewart]

This is all of it on wnyc. I'm Alison Stewart. Let's end today's show with some live music. Armenian born and New York based pianist, composer and vocalist Astrik Martirozian combines her jazz training with elements of traditional Armenian folk music to create a style that is all her own. She's premiering that music and her debut album Distance at National Sawdust this Sunday. The compositions on the album were created during a time of turmoil for Astruc. The COVID pandemic left her isolated in Boston while fans and friends back home in Armenia were suffering through an armed conflict with forces in Azerbaijan, a conflict that has recently escalated. Military forces in Azerbaijan launched an offensive against a territory occupied mainly by ethnic Armenians, leading Thousands to leave their homes behind and flee the country. Astruc turns that pain and her hope for future peace into beautiful music on Distance. She'll be performing at National Sawdust on Sunday at 7:30. But first, she's performing live with us here in Studio Astruc. So nice to meet you. Thank you for coming in.

[Astrik Martirozian]

Thank you so much for having us, Allison. Thank you.

[Alison Stewart]

The first piece you're going to play for us is the first song on the album titled Silence. Why did you want to begin the album with this song?

[Astrik Martirozian]

I wrote Silence after inspired by this opening line of a poem by Emily Dickinson. And the poem starts with this phrase. It says, I many times thought peace had come when peace was far away. And I remember really not even reading the rest of the poem. That was. You know, this was during the fall of 2020, where the war was happening and I was in Boston and I was finding ways to really express myself and express all of these emotions. And that was the moment that I really felt like I'm ready to write music and put this into music. And I guess Silence is where it all started. And that's why I felt that it should be reflected in the album as well, starting with that song.

[Alison Stewart]

We're going to hear it now. Would you introduce us to your colleagues?

[Astrik Martirozian]

Absolutely. At this moment, we have Joe Martin on bass and Carl Uzbek on drums. Right now I'm on piano, but Moshe Maquias is going to join us later.

[Alison Stewart]

Okay. Let's hear Silence.

[McDonald's Employee / Singer]

Will I ever be in peace with the sun till the end of time? The beauty of silence is what I recall you and I will ever be the same Closing my eyes again and winning and rain or within again Sa Sam, you and I the boring us Will ever be Closing my eyes again and wind and rain or women.

[Astrik Martirozian]

Will.

[McDonald's Employee / Singer]

I ever be the same Closing my eyes again and when warmed with it again.

[Alison Stewart]

That was Astrik Marterian. The new album Distance is out now. The name of that song was Silence. That was beautiful. Thank you so much for that.

[Astrik Martirozian]

Thank you. Thank you.

[Alison Stewart]

When did you know that you wanted to pursue music professionally?

[Astrik Martirozian]

Well, I was raised in a musician's family. My mom is an opera singer, and I grew up in the theater. First, I was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, where my mom was performing in Mariinsky Theater for 10 years. So music was kind of always in my life, and I studied piano since I was 5, just because it was kind of not even a question I had to. But then it just became part of me, really.

[Alison Stewart]

How did you first discover jazz? Music.

[Astrik Martirozian]

I remember I was 13 and I would sing songs at home and play, but they were different types of songs. And Artistic director of Armenian State Jazz Orchestra Armen Husnunt was one of my mom's friends and I remember the day when she called him and she said, Armen, I don't know what she's doing. She's singing a bunch of songs and playing. But let's. Anyway, we went to him and I heard the orchestra for the first time and jazz orchestra live and I was so inspired. I'm in. Started giving me just, you know, giving me songs to listen to and just learn and learn more about jazz music. And I did my debut performance as a singer when I was 14 with Armenia State Jazz Orchestra and since then I performed with them for around five years.

[Alison Stewart]

If someone googles you after, after this interview, and I suggest you do, there's a really terrific video of you explaining a bit of the history and the specifics around Armenian musical notation. Yeah, it's so interesting. Tell us a little bit about the Armenian musical notation system. And what does it tell us about the foundations of Armenian music?

[Astrik Martirozian]

Oh, well, because of Armenian notation system, first of all, kind of. There's the first version of Armenian notation system, which is Khazr. And this comes back from 8th century, 7th century. And unfortunately there aren't almost. I'm. I'm not quite sure, but I know that probably if there is someone who can read it, it's probably one or two people. But. But then in the, in the 14th century there was. Came up with a. With the more modernized version of it, which is one that we use today. And we, I mean, not everyone can read it obviously. And it's not that we use it all the time, but I mean that's something that I learned at the conservatory and that's how we read religious music. And Armenian folk music was notated also with that because it has a specific. So it's tempered in a way that every. It's four note links to each other. Every last note of each four note is the first note of the following one and the third note of each one of those groups is slightly flat. So then because of this we have variety of intervals. That is almost impossible. I mean, not almost. It's impossible to notate with Western notation system. So. Yeah.

[Alison Stewart]

Are there certain sounds or rhythms that are specifically when you hear them? You know. Oh, that's, that's an ode or that nods to Armenian folk music or is Armenian folk music?

[Astrik Martirozian]

Yeah, yeah, definitely. Yeah, absolutely. Well, a lot of it comes from the language. Oftentimes you might not. You know, you might not hear the. It's so much reflected in the rhythm. So the. I guess even Meli, like certain embellishments that are very common to a region overall, but we define them. We understand that those are Armenians. Armenian, because of the specific nuances of the language and what. The way certain dialects dictate rhythmic structure or a way of saying things. Because all of it, most of it comes, let's say, the way you ask a question and in a different dialect of Armenian, that question sounds different. And that's so much reflected in the music. We. Oftentimes we might not hear. We might not know the lyric, but based on a melody, we might understand where. What from what region that song is coming from.

[Alison Stewart]

Interesting.

[Astrik Martirozian]

Is there.

[Alison Stewart]

Is there a way you could show me a small example on the piano?

[Astrik Martirozian]

Oh, my God. On the piano. I don't know. If you can't. It's okay. I didn't mean to put you. I can. I can sing, I guess, actually.

[McDonald's Employee / Singer]

Well.

[Astrik Martirozian]

For example, the song that I'm going to perform next. Okay, let's go right to. It is. But we can talk about it a little bit. But this is from the region of Van. There are different today. It's in Turkey. But the way the rhythmic structure is. When we look at that rhythmic structure, we can tell that this is from that region. But also, not only that, there are different versions of that song of different dialects, and the melody reflects that as well. So oftentimes we would see a song that would travel from different. With different regions. But that song really shifted. Even the context of it changes as well. Because, for example, if Van was more kind of like a. It was a city they were in, the lifestyle was different. But then you see more songs who come from more mountain regions where. Where everyday life is kind of completely different, and they think about their own story, which is completely different, let's say, than what the story would be from in Vaughan. Yeah, that makes sense. Yeah. Yeah.

[Alison Stewart]

My guest is Astrik Martirozian. The new album is called Distance. You're gonna perform Summer Night. Would you tell us a little bit about this before we hear it?

[Astrik Martirozian]

Yeah. So it's funny, before moving to the US I rarely would sing folk songs. It was not something that I really felt like, oh, this is something that I want to do. Of course, it was strongly in my life. I had mentors. My dear Alina Pahlevanyan, who till today is such a huge mentor to me. I learned folk music through her. But it was not something that I would perform. And I guess 2020 and especially the war, just I was trying to find ways to reconnect, to heal, to express so many emotions, to feel more connected to Armenia. And folk songs were. Were an amazing outlet for that. And my father's side is actually from van, so my grandparents were. And their parents, they escaped genocide and they're coming from that region. And so I thought. And this song tells about this beautiful. It shows this picture of a beautiful summer night in the village after a long working day. The people are gathered, they're singing songs. Women are working with the wool and men sing about these women, how beautiful they are. And it's a beautiful summer night. And I think during the war I was dreaming about that view.

[Alison Stewart]

The name of the album is Distance. Ashtiq Martirozian will be performing at National Sawdust on Sunday at 7:30pM to play us out. Here she is with Summer Night.

[McDonald's Employee / Singer]

Lo K. Sam. There's Sam I.

[Michael's Party Shop Announcer]

Attention, party people. You're officially invited to the party shop at Michael's where you'll find hundreds of new Items starting at 99 cents with an expanded selection of party wear, balloons with helium included on select styles, decorations and more. Michaels is your one stop shop for celebrating everything from birthdays to bachelorette parties and baby showers to golden anniversaries. Visit Michaels store or michaels.com today to supply your next party.

[McDonald's Customer]

I'm gonna put you on, nephew.

[Astrik Martirozian]

All right, unc.

[McDonald's Employee / Singer]

Welcome to McDonald's.

[Alison Stewart]

Can I take your order, miss?

[McDonald's Customer]

I've been hitting up McDonald's for years. Now it's back. We need snack wraps. What's a snack wrap? It's the return of something great. Snack wrap is back.