Description
Ara Dinkjian Quartet — 7PM
Ara Dinkjian, born in 1958 in America to Armenian parents, is a renowned oud player and composer. He studied various instruments and earned a unique degree in oud from Hartt College of Music. For over 40 years, he served as an organist in the Armenian Apostolic Church and developed a distinctive compositional style blending Eastern and Western influences.
In 1985, Dinkjian founded the instrumental quartet Night Ark, which gained international acclaim for its innovative approach. His compositions have been recorded in 16 languages and featured in major events like the 2004 Athens Olympics and the 2013 Nevruz Festival. His music has also appeared in films and TV shows, and he is known for his collaborations with notable artists like Sezen Aksu.
Dinkjian’s discography includes live recordings from international oud festivals, solo projects, and collaborations with The Secret Trio. His latest release, “Live At Princeton University,” features The Secret Trio and The New York Gypsy All Stars. The documentary “Garod” highlights his father’s role in preserving Armenian folk music. Dinkjian remains active in composing, performing, recording, and teaching.
Marius Van Den Brink — 8:15PM
Award winning jazz pianist and composer Marius Van Den Brink’s recently released album ‘New York Knock’ features a supergroup of jazz musicians consisting of Sean Jones, Stacy Dillard, Matt Penman, Willie Jones III, and Keita Ogawa. In addition, several special guests like Maurice Brown and Ara Dinkjian make appearances throughout the album.
Marius will be performing the music from his album ‘New York Knock’ as well as some brand new material. Renowned trumpet player and composer Sean Jones, compares Marius’ writing to that of a contemporary Horace Silver. This is no small feat, given that Silver is one of the most influential jazz pianists and composers of the 20th century. The album contains solely Marius’ authentic compositions, which, besides Sean Jones, have gained recognition from numerous highly esteemed jazz musicians.
“New York Knock came out beginning this year but is still one of my favourite albums of the year” Ruth Fisher, Jazz FM UK
Man, it’s just fantastic. One of the best recordings I’ve heard in a long time, and the writing truly knocked me out.’ Jim Rotondi
“Marius has attracted the attention of important mainstays of the city’s jazz world in a relatively short amount of time” Christopher Knox, Hothouse Jazz Magazine
“Within just a few years he has made a name for himself in the New York City Jazz Scene” Anna Steegmann, New York City Jazz Record
“Sean Jones compared his writing to a modern Horace Silver and that shows if we listen to his inventiveness” Dietmar Terpstra, Jazzism
“The writing on the album is uniformly excellent, evocative and always accessible” Keith Black, Winnipeg Free Press, Canada