Albert Asriyan

Albert Asriyan (Ալբերտ Ասրիյան, Альберт Асриян) (June 28, 1951 – November 28, 2007) was an Armenian-American violinist, composer, arranger and band leader.

Albert Asriyan was born in Baku, Azerbaijan SSR on June 28, 1951, to an Armenian family, as the first of three children.

Albert's father, Mikhail Asriyan was a circus administrator and his mother, Sirvart Karnezian-Asriyan, a housewife.

Growing up in a tough neighborhood in Baku, Albert was enrolled in music school at age 7 where he majored in classical violin and classical piano.

After graduating from music school with honors at age 15, in 1966 he was accepted to the Azerbaijan State Musical College Asaf Zeinally, where he majored in classical violin and piano.

During his studies at Zeinally, Asriyan developed a love for jazz.

Purchasing bootleg copies of jazz greats such as Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Dizzy Gillespie, Duke Ellington, and performing at local gigs in youth music group Chaika (English: Seagull), as well as in Volshebniye Zvuki (English: Magic Sounds).

At the same time, Asriyan picked up the guitar and began studying by listening to Santana.

In 1971, Asriyan entered the Baku Academy of Music majoring in classical violin and minoring in piano/music composition.

His talent as a composer and arranger always found use in conservatory "Kapustnik" (English: Musical Comedy Club).

During his years at the conservatory, Asriyan also played on the conservatory basketball team.

He graduated in 1976 and turned professional.

After graduating from the conservatory, Asriyan joined the USSR Navy where he became a part of the Orchestra of the Red Banner Caspian Navy as a violinist and guitarist.

In 1977 he joined the Jazz Band of the Philharmonic Society of Baku in the groups Sevgilim (English: Loved one) and AzConcert's "Ashugi" (English: Poets in Love).

During this time he performed in Azerbaijan and other republics of the Soviet Union.

Aside from Soviet music, the groups performed many popular foreign songs such as that of James Brown and Chick Corea, despite controversy and strict disapproval of the music committee.

With his friends and colleagues Elkhan Shikhaliev saxophonist/composer/arranger/vocalist, Siyavush Kerimi oud/keyboars, Rauf Sultanov bass, Ramin Sultanov drums, Mukhtar Yakhyayev keyboards, Yuriy Tagiev vocals, Karen Avanesyan (entertainer, comedian, actor) and other musicians, Asriyan toured all over the USSR.

From 1979-1983 he was one of the first violins of Azerbaijan Radio and TV Symphonic Orchestra conducted by Ramiz Melik Aslanov.

During this time he also performed with several pop-groups and was the band leader of group Bakinskiye Devushki (English: Girls of Baku) where in 1979 he met his future wife Ivetta Mirzoyan, a singer and guitarist of the girls group.

Asriyan and Ivetta went on to play together in pop-group Muleili.

Asriyan was also the composer and performer for Azerbaijan TV Show Molodejnaya Estrada (Youth Stage) in 1979-1982, and for televised concert of Masters of Arts of Azerbaijan of 1988-1989.

His song Kuvshin was the closing number.

On April 21, 1980, they married, and had a daughter, Julie Anna, in 1983.

In 1983 Asriyan became an arranger and keyboard player for the pop/folk group Ashugi.

From 1984-1989 he was the arranger/ keyboarding/ violinist/ jazz vocalist of the State Orchestra Gaya (English: Mountain), conducted by Teymur Mirzoyev.

Within Gaya formed a rock-group Talisman where Asriyan and his friend Elkhan Shikhaliev wrote and performed most of their compositions.

Talisman became a very well known and successful band, performing at the XII World Festival of Youth and Students in Moscow-1985.

In 1986 Asriyan with "Gaya" and "Talisman" traveled to Kabul, Afghanistan to perform for the Soviet troops fighting in the war.

Asriyan's song Bez Tebya (English: Without You), to which Ivetta wrote the lyrics, was performed at the 1987 International Music Festival in Jūrmala.

The video to his song "Kuvshin" (English: Vase), directed by Sevinc Kerimova, became one of the first music videos to hit television in Azerbaijan and former USSR.

Asriyan's songs were performed on television.

Bez Tebya was performed at the New Year's Eve Celebrations of 1987-1988 in Baku and Fakir performed at the Song of the Year Annual Contest of USSR in Baku, 1987.

His song " 80 thousand roses" was performed by Talisman at concerts and patriotic festivals in memory of World War 2.

The band also performed at major events such as the Rock Panorama of Baku-1988, Concert for the USSR government at Republic Concert Hall-Lenin Sarai in Baku, The State Central Concert Hall Russia in Moscow, Column Hall of the House of Unions at the Kremlin, as well as all over the country and outside.

He was the artistic leader of the group up to August, 1989.

In 1989, due to civil conflict in Baku and after several attacks from the Azeri extremists, Asriyan moved with his family to Moscow, with the help of friends, where they lived from 1989 to 1993.

Upon invitation of his childhood friend and colleague, composer Boris Vishnevkin, Asriyan became a part of the Jewish group Shabas and performed all over the former USSR.

Together they recorded an album in Moscow.

Asriyan performed solo with his own violin show for various events, and performed Armenian folk music with other musicians.

On December 25, 1990 Albert and Ivetta had their second daughter, Kristina.