When Tigran Hamasyan last performed in Melbourne, it was as a solo pianist. But he presented a very different version of his musical skills and vision to patrons at last night’s sold-out concert at the Melbourne Recital Centre.

The virtuosic pianist, composer and singer presented a kaleidoscope of musical styles, fusing the traditional folk music of his Armenian background with jazz improvisation, progressive rock, electronica, choral singing, heavy metal and classical influences.

This direction culminates in Hamasyan’s boundary-crossing latest album, Manifeste, released earlier this year. Like the album, last night’s concert showcased how the trailblazing musician draws on different styles to create his own distinctive musical offering. He was supported by Yessai Karapetian on piano, synthesiser and flute, Marc Karapetian on bass, and drummer Arman Mnatsakanyan. All three were among the musicians who played on Manifeste.

Tigran Hamasyan, Melbourne Recital Centre. Photo @will.hamiltoncoates

The opening numbers included Ultra Dance and Sunrise, both from Manifeste. Hamasyan began with a fetching melody played solo on piano before he and the band suddenly launched into a resounding hard-rock passage. Bass and drums played stabbing rhythms while Hamasyan responded with crashing chords. The pattern was repeated, with a beguiling piano prelude in which Hamasyan turned over the melody before moving into heavily percussive playing. When Hamasyan and Karapetian added vocal accompaniment, it was like hearing an enchanting choral overlay to the music.

Elsewhere, Karapetian played a counter-melody on synthesiser, his one-handed dashing runs complementing Hamasyan’s percussive drive. Hamasyan changed the mood with a repeated, tinkling phrase in the piano’s upper register, suggestive of folk music. The music then settled into a heavy groove, punctuated by staggered drum hits, before shifting into a different rhythmic feel. Karapetian also played haunting melodies on flute, evoking the natural world.

Tigran Hamasyan, Melbourne Recital Centre. Photo @will.hamiltoncoates

Sunrise opened with a sense of grandeur before Karapetian’s synthesiser produced a delicate, xylophone-like sound. Hamasyan explored and repeated key phrases on piano, using trills for emphasis. At times, he would play a fast melodic run and Karapetian would respond with another, as if the two were having a conversation. Hamasyan also played in unison with Mnatsakanyan’s staggered drum hits.

Sometimes Hamasyan picked out single notes against the beat, teasing out the melody. But as the drums picked up pace and the momentum built towards a fever pitch, Hamasyan suddenly rose from his seat. Standing at the piano, he attacked the lower register with force, responding to short bursts of staccato drumming.

Tigran Hamasyan, Melbourne Recital Centre. Photo @will.hamiltoncoates

A highlight was Wartime Poem, with its striking, fragile opening melody before the band moved into a dramatic, high-energy groove. Some of the melodies had a pastoral quality. The use of polyrhythms and rousing drumming, meanwhile, injected excitement and a sense of celebration. The singing, with its choral qualities, added another dimension, conveying a spiritual feeling.

One of the final numbers was a composition about cleansing oneself of troubles. It draws on an old Armenian tradition of using music as a healing force, and its joyful dance rhythms certainly delivered a sense of release. As with the other pieces, it was marked by abrupt changes of pace, shifting into a slower tempo. Hamasyan played colourful, emphatic chords in the piano’s lower register while Karapetian created an evocative, zither-like sound on synthesiser.

The band received a standing ovation. Integrating the ethereal melodies, modes and harmonies of Armenian folk music with jazz improvisation, hard-rock grooves and the unmistakable influence of heavy metal is no small achievement. The only unsettling element was a slight reverberation from the bass at the start of the concert, but it soon disappeared.

The 2026 Melbourne International Jazz Festival continues until 25 October.

Tigran Hamasyan plays at the Seymour Centre, Chippendale, Sydney on 24 October.