“…and it appears to me
that music
is born of silence and disappears into silence.”
( from album “SIRTES”)
Composer and pianist, she was born in Armenia into a family of musicians. In 1996 she moved to Paris and currently lives and works between Paris and Barcelona.
As a composer, she is at a crossroad of styles, experimenting with the fusion of contemporary music, jazz and traditional music.
She composes for her own projects as well as in collaboration with other musicians and upon commissions from music festivals.
Parallel to her career as a composer, Anahit Simonian continues to persue a brilliant carrier as a pianist, performing publicly from the age of 16 in international festivals around the world, in Russia, France, Lithuania, Switzerland, Germany, Spain, Holland and Armenia…
For the last ten years she has devoted herself entirely to projects of improvised music, creating multidisciplinary projects in collaboration with various photographers, video artists and poets.
Anahit takes part in concerts of contemporary jazz and performs with musicians such as Sébastien Texier, Henri Texier, Manu Codjia, Christophe Marguet…
Currently she is in the process of preparing together with Stefan Baumann (cello, sound design, Suisse) and Greg Cohen (contrabass, New York) a new project for a trio entitled “Invisible travels”, which is a reflexion upon sound memory.
At the age of twenty five wins the Grand Prize of the “Mozart du 7ème Art”, the first competition for film music organised by Gaumont, Gras Savoie and Canal Plus. Equally, in 2000 she receives the “ Prix Spécial” awarded by Sony Music and the SACEM. Since then Anahit Simonian has created and composed numerous scores for films (approximately thirty to this day).
She gives concerts of musical improvisation for silent movies – among others, the Festivals of Germaine Dulac, of Rudoph Valentino, of Eric von Stroheim at the Musée d’Orsay, Festival of Silent Film of Argence – improvisations on six films of Buster Keaton, Fritz Lang at the Film Festival of Ales…
CREATIONS (selection)
“MOZAIC MAN” – commission of the Festival of Coutances.
Original compositions, as well as arrangements and orchestration of themes by Henri Texier for the orchestra of Basse Normandie and the quintet of Henri Texier.
Creation at the Festival of Coutances in May 2009.
“JAPON/ 22 Spring Reflexions followed by 22 Autumn Variations“ – Improvisations and compositions for piano solo based on the images of Japan, in collaboration with the video artist and photographer Vincent Roumagnac.
Release of the DVD planned for February 2011, in partnership with the French-Spanish production “La Ventana azul” and the SACEM.
“SIRTES” – a CD of twelve songs for voice, piano, cello, electric guitar and drums, where she is the author of both music and lyrics. In co-production with “La Ventana azul”, 2008
Chambre double #5 KOSTIA / based on The Seagull of Anton Tchékhov
Improvisation and compositions
Theatre multimedia, 2007, Lyon. Théâtre de la Croix Rousse
Conception and staging, V. Roumagnac
Chambre double #4 / L’HOMME ATLANTIQUE by Marguerite Duras
“Live” improvisations. Theatre multimedia, 2006, Lyon. Théâtre de l’Elyséee. Conception and staging V. Roumagnac
“NAMOUS” – for a mixed ensemble of 14 musicians. Composition and musical direction for an Armenian feature silent movie created in 1925, commissioned by ARTE, 2005
Sound creations for “Lune” (2005) and ”Parasols” – 2004- of Sarah Glaisen (Suisse) presented at the Museums of Contemporary Art of Fribourg and Geneva
“CoExistence(s) # 02” – multidisciplinary project in collaboration with Sébastien Texier (saxophone, clarinettes, France) and Stefan Baumann (cello, Suisse). Improvisations on the photos of Vincent Roumagnac.
In partnership with the SACEM.
« FORGOTTEN LEGENDS » – for 2 soloists (voice, doudouk) and symphony orchestra; commission of the Festival Musical Olympus, created at the Hermitage Theatre in Saint Petersbourg (Russia) for the opening of the Festival in 2003
FILM MUSIC (selection):
“PERDIDA” (2009) of Viviana Garcia Vesne ( Mexic) official selection of the International Documentary Film Festival in Mexico
“RETURN TO DESERT” (2009) of Thierry Bugaud official selection at “The European Independent film Festival”
“ULTIMOS TESTIGOS” (2008) of Manuel Martin Cuenca (Spain), official selection at the festival of Malaga
“HINTERLAND” (2007) of G. Boulangé Grand prix for short film at the Festival of Rotterdam
« IRINKA-SANDRINKA” (2006) animation by S. Stoianov,( France-Belgium), commission of ARTE.
“LES NOUVELLES D’ANGELIQUE” ( 2005) of Mirabelle Kirkland Best music award at the Film Festival of Gruisson.
“HOLY LOLA” (2004) of Bertrand Tavernier
arrangements and orchestration of the music of Henri Texier
« Irina Brook, le plaisir contagieux » ( 2003)
documentary of Serge Avedikian (France 2 – France 5)