Regarded as Australia’s finest guitar duo performing much of the instrument’s standard classical repertoire, the Grigoryan Brothers’ passion is to expand their horizons through new arrangements, their own compositions and commissions. This ambition can be heard as the brothers take the guitar into genres such as jazz, folk and contemporary music. There are no boundaries, only new frontiers to cross. In concert, mix it all together and you have a dimension to guitar-playing rarely seen in the musical world.
Amistad is the new album from acclaimed guitar duo, the Grigoryan Brothers. With a repertoire spanning centuries, continents, and genres, displaying amazing telepathy and the ability to evoke emotion from every note, Slava & Leonard Grigoryan are justifiably regarded as Australia’s finest classical guitarists. Throughout their musical journey spanning over two decades, Slava and Leonard have forged connections with like-minded souls worldwide. Each track on Amistad, released by Decca, is a gift from composers met during their travels, some tailored specifically for the brothers, while others find new life through their unique interpretations. Contributions have come from such diverse composers as Cuban guitarist Leo Brouwer, legendary jazz guitarist Ralph Towner, Sting’s guitarist Dominic Miller, guitarist Gus Isidore (Seal, Peter Gabriel), Australian neo-classical pianists Luke Howard and Nat Bartsch, and more. Crafted with love, respect, and a profound understanding, these compositions symbolise the reciprocal appreciation between the composers and the Grigoryan Brothers. Amistad, meaning ‘friendship’ in Spanish, is a celebration of camaraderie—a project resonating with respect and connection, a heartfelt tribute from the brothers. This performance will feature music from Amistad and favourites from their past recordings.
“Guitar playing of uncommon originality and authority. Musicality, expressivity and daring,”
Artists
Leonard Grigoryan, guitar
Slava Grigoryan, guitar
‘Their ability to play as if drawing from a shared musical consciousness and their subtle nuances of tempo, bordered on the uncanny’.
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Meet the Artist
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The Grigoryan Brothers
Guitarists, Slava and Leonard Grigoryan are counted amongst the finest musicians of their generation having developed a reputation for enthralling audiences with the energy of their performances and the breadth of their repertoire – embracing genres such as classical, jazz and contemporary music from around the world.
Between them, they have received 4 ARIA awards (Australian Recording Industry Association) and an incredible 24 ARIA Award nominations. As a duo they have recorded 12 albums with the 13th coming out in 2023.
They have been touring internationally since 2003, regularly performing throughout Europe, Asia, Australia and the USA.
Their diverse repertoire continues to present new opportunities for performances in traditional and unconventional settings, from projects with orchestras to duo performances in iconic classical venues such as London’s Wigmore Hall and Royal Albert Hall, and Vienna’s Konzerthaus.
Their ability to perform in disparate genres has resulted in invitations from arts festivals, jazz festivals, folk festivals and Womad, as well as performing in more intimate spaces such as clubs and salons. They have toured throughout the USA, UK and Australia as support for Canadian singer/songwriter KD Lang on her Ingénue Redux, 25th Anniversary Tour.
Slava and Leonard are blessed with an uncanny ability to perform so seamlessly as a duo that they play and ‘breath’ as one. Growing up and performing together does not guarantee a symbiotic relationship, but what does create the perfect storm is the mutual respect and admiration the brothers have for each other. Perhaps this is the intangible quality that creates their ability to connect with listeners.
Slava & Leonard Grigoryan’s deep appreciation of a broad spectrum of musical styles has resulted in many collaborations involving music, both written and improvised. Combine this with their classical training and the result is a unique sound incorporating all these influences.
