JAZZ CONCERT Yessaï Karapetian Quintet

The young Yessaï Karapetian, who at the age of six was learning to play traditional Armenian flutes while taking classical piano lessons, has beautifully bloomed. After experimenting with all kinds of ensembles, from solo to nonet, the French-Armenian jazzman finally founded his quintet and released his first album in 2022. Simply titled YESSAÏ, this opus opened the doors to a new and unique world, heir to Herbie Hancock as much as to Radiohead, while remaining deeply rooted in Armenian traditions. These roots continue to grow within the new identity of his quintet, which now incorporates two traditional instruments from his native country: the duduk, a very old double-reed instrument with a warm, mellow tone, and the blul, an open-ended shepherd’s flute made of apricot wood. With this new lineup, at Printemps des Arts de Monte-Carlo, Yessaï Karapetian revisits titles of his first album and presents new compositions, always trying to cultivate “a daring dialogue that transcends the national and ethnic barriers while celebrating them”.