Armenians in Jazz Featuring Yulia Musayelyan

Yulia Musayelyan is a flutist and composer, born in Moscow, Russia. A versatile performer and improviser, she leads an original quartet, tango project, as well as co-leads the Macayú Trio. Yulia collaborates regularly with other cross-genre projects, such as Fernando Huergo Quintet
and Big Band, Vadim Neselovskyi Group, Gaia Wilmer Octet, Louis Cole Big Band, Chrysalis Orchestra, and Brooklyn Orchestra, among others.

She was a soloist in a concert with TACTUS Contemporary Ensemble with guest conductor maestro Pierre Boulez, and has performed with Brooklyn Orchestra at the United Nations Headquarters as a soloist on flute and Armenian duduk.

Yulia has recorded 4 albums as leader, over 30 albums as a sideman, and toured the U.S., the U.K., Europe, Central and South America with various musical projects. Her quartet’s newest album will be released in Fall 2024. Her latest album releases include “Unsaid” (Next Level, 2020) and “Oblivion” (ZOHO Music, 2021), with the quartet and tango
project. Yulia holds degrees from Manhattan School of Music and New York University. She joined the faculty of Berklee College of Music in 2017, where she is currently Assistant Chair of Ear Training.

Leo Genovese is a Grammy Award winning pianist, born in Argentina in 1979. He moved to the United States in 2001 to attend the prestigious Berklee College of Music, and has been traveling the world playing music for the last twenty years. He has released eight albums as a leader and dozens as a sideman. He believes in music as a force of change.

Leo has recorded with Wayne Shorter, Esperanza Spalding, The Mars Volta, Residente, and George Garzone.

Fernando Huergo is a bassist, composer, and educator, originally from Córdoba, Argentina, now based in Boston. He has recorded over 160 albums, including 11 as a leader and co-leader. Fernando has toured and given clinics throughout North, Central and South America, Europe, and Asia.

An active performer on the jazz scene, he currently leads a quintet and big band. With his quintet, Fernando has performed with his quintet at the Buenos Aires and Cordoba International Jazz Festivals in Argentina, as well as Alexanderplatz Jazz Club in Rome, Italy and Sunside in Paris,
France. His latest album “The Possibility of Change” (Next Level, 2020) is a record of original compositions and arrangements with the Fernando Huergo Big Band.

He plays regularly with Guillermo Klein y Los Guachos, Mehmet Sanlikol, Jim Kelly, Jason Yeager, El Eco, Yulia Musayelyan, Pablo Ablanedo Octet, Macuco Quintet, Maxim Lubarsky, and Leo Blanco among others. He has performed with Luciana Souza, Cesar Camargo Mariano Trio, Danilo Perez, Marta Gómez, Dave Valentín, Hendrick Meurkens, Dave Liebman, Dave Samuels, Joe Beck, and many others.

Fernando is a graduate of Berklee College of Music, where his principal teachers included Charlie Banacos, Jerry Bergonzi, George Garzone, Hal Crook, Cecil McBee, George Russell, Whit Browne, Oscar Stagnaro, and Bruce Gertz, among others. He is currently a Professor in the Bass Department at Berklee College of Music, where he has taught since 1996.

Drummer Franco Pinna's musical journey began in 1988 when he started playing drums in Tucumán, Argentina. He quickly gained recognition and collaborated with important musicians in his homeland. In 1998, Pinna moved to Boston to study at Berklee College of Music, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude.

In 2004, Pinna relocated to New York City, where he made a significant impact on the music scene, contributing with his rhythmic skills to over 80 albums worldwide. In 2022, he launched his "Solo Project," showcasing his diverse talents and innovative sound. His setup reflects his eclectic musical taste, featuring traditional drums, percussion instruments from around the world, and his unique creation, the "Arpalegüera", blending tones from various global musical traditions.

Franco Pinna's global performances at prestigious venues like the Royal Albert Hall, Carnegie Hall, and Tokyo Jazz Festival underscore his remarkable influence in percussion and rhythm worldwide.