Zela Margossian Quintet is an ARIA nominated ethno-jazz band based in Sydney, performing original works and arrangements carrying influences from Armenian traditional music.
Zela Margossian Quintet is an ethno-jazz band based in Sydney, performing original works and arrangements carrying influences from Armenian traditional music.
Comprised of talented and multi-cultural musicians from Sydney, Zela Margossian Quintet creates an exotic musical atmosphere that is sure to take you on an emotive and pleasurable journey.
Zela Margossian Quintet has participated in different festivals in Sydney such as the International Women’s Jazz Festival in 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021, Sydney Improvised Music Association’s various jazz programs, a debut performance for Wangaratta Festival of Jazz and Blues in 2020, a debut performance at the prestigious Sydney Opera House in December 2020 and a performance at Sydney Town Hall for Sydney Festival in January 2021. A special performance to note is ZMQ’s participation in the Beirut International Jazz Day celeberation in Lebanon in April 2018 and at The Barbican for EFG London Jazz Festival in 2023.
Transition, the band’s debut album was released digitally by the Australian record label, Art As Catharsis, on the 30th of November, 2018.
To promote their debut album, the quintet had performances in Sydney, Melbourne, Hobart, Auckland and Wellington and the album received positive reviews from different sources such as The Sydney Morning Herald, The Australian, DownBeat and JazzWise magazines to name a few.
In October 2019, ZMQ’s debut album Transition, received an ARIA nomination for Best World Music Album category.
In 2021, ZMQ signed a record deal with the American Jazz Label, Ropeadope. The album was released internationally on the 25th of February 2022 with an album launch event on the same day in Sydney. The album had positive reception from audiences worldwide as well as positive reviews from different sources around the world.
In October 2023, Zela Margossian Quintet had their debut performances at the Wellington Jazz Festival in New Zealand and at Perth International Jazz Festival in November. A highlight in 2023 was a performance for EFG London Jazz Festival (an initiative by Melbourne Jazz Festival “MIJF Presents'‘) at The Barbican in London as Zela Margossian Trio on the 11th of November.
“What a bright new force is pianist Zela Margossian. Her debut album, Transition, announced her range and fascination as a composer, splashing her Armenian heritage across the broad canvas of jazz.”-SMH
“Transitiotning among seemingly impossible musical and rhythmic puzzles and into an effortless harmonious whole, Margossian’s strong compositional themes and organic, intuitive sense for sophisticated meters only is enhanced. Embracing her background and a shift over to jazz following classical music studies, the bandleader has carved out an entrancing and dazzlingly unique kaleidoscopic niche.” – DownBeat
“…The result is this exemplary album that is simultaneously heartfelt, authentic and wholly absorbing. This is music that can be returned to again and again, each time revealing a little more of itself with its abundance of inner detail.”- JazzWise
“The band's musicianship is impeccable throughout the recording (The Road’) and the results achieved by all are a feast of the highest quality. This is freshly minted contemporary jazz bursting with panache.” - All About Jazz
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ZELA MARGOSSIAN
Born in Beirut, of Armenian heritage, Zela Margossian began studying piano at a very young age. Graduating from Hamazkaine’s Parsegh Ganatchian Musical College, she carries on her musical studies at the Lebanese Higher State Conservatory and at the same time, she continues her education in English literature at Haigazian University. Upon earning her B.A. degree in English literature, she leaves for Armenia to further her musical studies at the Yerevan Komitas State Conservatory in the class of the renowned pianist and professor Vili Sargsyan. In 2007, Zela earns her Master’s degree in Piano Performance from the Yerevan Komitas State Conservatory.
During her years studying in Armenia, Zela develops a great passion towards Armenian ethno-jazz music that she experiences in local jazz venues. After moving to Sydney, she embarks on a new journey of nurturing this passion and has been making her mark here as a blossoming composer and artist.
Zela is currently active performing her original compositions with her band, Zela Margossian Quintet, which she founded in early 2017. Zela Margossian Quintet’s music is a fusion of folk, jazz and classical, carrying influences from traditional Armenian music.
Zela Margossian Quintet releases their debut album, Transition in November 2018. Since then, the quintet has had performances in Canberra, Melbourne, Hobart, Auckland and Wellington.
Performance highlights include the Quintet’s participation in the Sydney International Jazz Women’s Festival (Nov. 2017, Nov. 2019, Nov. 2020), a tour to Beirut, Lebanon to take part in the Beirut International Jazz Day Festival (April 2018), a couple of key performances in the SIMA (Sydney Improvised Music Association) Jazz Programs (June 2018, Aug. 2019, March 2020), a debut performance for the Wangaratta Festival of Jazz and Blues (Nov.2020), a debut performance at the Sydney Opera House (Dec. 2020), and a performance at Sydney Town Hall for Sydney Festival 2021.
In October 2019, Transition receives an ARIA (Australian Recording Industry Association) nomination for Best World Music Album category.
In 2020, Zela is granted a commission for an album project for ABC Jazz, called Visions of Nar, with saxophonist Jeremy Rose which was released in September 2023 on ABC/Earshift Music..
On the 25th of February 2022, Zela Margossian Quintet’ releases their second album The Road on the international American record label, Ropeadope.
“What a bright new force is pianist Zela Margossian. Her debut album, Transition, announced her range and fascination as a composer, splashing her Armenian heritage across the broad canvas of jazz.” - The Sydney Morning Herald.
“…The result is this exemplary album that is simultaneously heartfelt, authentic and wholly absorbing. This is music that can be returned to again and again, each time revealing a little more of itself with its abundance of inner detail.”- JazzWise
“Transitioning among seemingly impossible musical and rhythmic puzzles and into an effortless harmonious whole, Margossian’s strong compositional themes and organic, intuitive sense for sophisticated meters only is enhanced. Embracing her background and a shift over to jazz following classical music studies, the bandleader has carved out an entrancing and dazzlingly unique kaleidoscopic niche.” - DownBeat
“The Beirut-born pianist draws upon her Armenian heritage and classical music training to create a variety of moods, by blending folk-inspired and jazz-influenced tunes that are full of heart and soul. The results epitomize what that kind of fusion can achieve.” - All About Jazz
ALEXANDER INMAN-HISLOP
Alexander Inman-Hislop (b Colombo, Sri Lanka; 14 July 1993) is a multi-ARIA nominated drummer and composer. He was nominated for the 2021 Freedman Fellowship Award for Jazz Artists and was selected to participate in the 2018 Wangaratta National Jazz Awards. He leads ambient/minimalist ensemble jetrio, co-leads electronically-inspired BIKE THIEF and maintains ongoing commitments as a freelancing artist.
He tours regularly with a number of groups throughout Australia, Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan, New Zealand, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Lebanon. Alex has received tutelage from a number of jazz drumming luminaries such as Simon Barker, James Waples, Tim Firth and Andrew Dickeson. His idiosyncrasy is characterized by a breadth of styles; most recently drawing influence from ritual Sri Lankan drumming through his engagement with Honours research.
Along with his performing career he holds a position at the University of Sydney’s Conservatorium of Music as a Casual Lecturer in Jazz Performance.
ADEM YILMAZ
Born in Istanbul, Turkey in 1992, Adem Yilmaz is a highly renowned percussionist of Kurdish origin. He began playing his first instrument , the Darbuka (Goblet Drum) at the age of eight.
Having Mr. Izzet Kizil, one of Turkey's most recognised and internationally known percussionist as his teacher, Yilmaz specialised in a variety of eastern percussion instruments and found himself performing with many bands as well as being involved in many of those bands’ album recordings.
Since migrating to Sydney, Australia in 2014, Adem established himself, within a short period of time, as a versatile and sought-after percussionist and has been involved as a key member in many popular Sydney bands such as the Aria-nominated bands, Zela Margossian Quintet and Eishan Ensemble , with whom he has toured internationally and nationally. He also performs with Masha's Legacy, The Catholics, Chris Cody and is involved in many studio projects such as Visions of Nar, an ABC commissioned album by Zela Margossian and Jeremy Rose and other projects.
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Jacques Emery
Jacques Emery is a double bassist, composer and performer who lives and works on Cadigal land.
Born in 1997 to orchestral string players, Jacques cultivated a deep curiosity in all kinds of sound and music from a young age.
His teenage years laid the path for an ongoing engagement with many different musical disciplines: he participated in Australian Youth Orchestra programs, formed jazz groups, and began to compose his own music.
In 2019 Jacques completed his Bachelor of Jazz Performance at the Sydney Conservatorium. After entering the Con on a merit scholarship, he received several university prizes, was selected as one of SIMA's Jazz Stars of Tomorrow, and was awarded the BBM Youth Support Award by Judy Bailey, which gave him the chance to explore the improvised music scenes in London and Berlin. In late 2019, he travelled to Oslo, Berlin and New York with saxophonist Charlie Sundborn, where they received lessons from renowned improvisers such as Marc Hannaford, Tony Buck and Magda Mayas, and Streifenjunko as recipients of the Henderson Travellers Scholarship
He has appeared at festivals in London, Berlin, Wrocław, Melbourne, Wangaratta, and Canberra as a bassist with the Australian Art Orchestra, and at many prominent Australian festivals with other ensembles, including with legendary vocalist Vince Jones in Melbourne and Adelaide.
He has had the great fortune to play with some of Australia’s most celebrated improvisers, such as Mike Nock, Julien Wilson, Phil Slater, Simon Barker, Andrea Keller, Matt McMahon, Steve Barry, Joe O’Connor, Jeremy Rose, Kristin Berardi, Sandy Evans, and Paul Cutlan among others.
Jacques is active in a number of original and collaborative groups in Sydney, including Elysian Fields, HEKKA, Places People, Sam Gill’s Coursed Waters, Sam Gill’s Scattered, and the Zela Margossian Quintet. He co-leads BIKE THIEF, Soft Attack, and Jachlo, and also releases music from a variety of solo projects.
Outside of the jazz sphere, his role as a musician has ventured into the realm of performance art.
He has participated in several shows by Michelle St. Anne’s experimental theatre company The Living Room theatre since 2019, and has performed live and collaborated with singer, composer and producer Marcus Whale since 2017.
He also considers himself very fortunate to be part of an exciting new generation of musicians in Australia, where a generous community is forming around experimentation with improvisation and musical form. Past and present collaborators include Chloe Kim, Charlie Sundborn, Tom Avgenicos, Novak Manojlovic, Sam Gill, Hilary Geddes, Helen Svoboda, Flora Carbo, Theo Carbo, Callum Mintzis, and many more.
STUART VANDEGRAAFF
Stuart Vandegraaff is an acclaimed performer, bandleader, educator and community music facilitator with a special presence in intercultural music. Based in Sydney since 2000, Stuart has performed locally, nationally, and internationally in a diverse range of musical settings. Classically trained, with an undergraduate in Jazz performance and a Master's in Arabic maqam study, Stuart is a saxophone specialist (SATB) with additional proficiencies on Arabic nays (cane flutes), clarinets, and a variety of other woodwinds.
Aside from his Aria-nominated work with the Zela Margossian quintet, Stuart is bandleader of Masha’s Legacy and SEV, part of Mara’s Musica Viva in Schools show and co-founder of the Clube Nacional do Chorinho na Australia. He is active in numerous jazz, Brazilian music and Arabic music ensembles and is an in-demand commercial and orchestral session artist. www.svmusic.com.au