Cygnus Flare

Support from Tomorrow’s Warriors Female Frontline

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Last Show: Monday 23 rd April 2018

PizzaExpress Jazz Club (Soho)

Cygnus Flare are a London based trio with international roots. Formed with a shared passion for jazz, Latin, fusion and classical music, and heavily influenced by Chick Corea’s Elektric Band and Tigran Hamasyan, they have been busy composing their own unique flavour of progressive latin-jazz. Armenian pianist Arman Vardanyan, bassist David Horler, and drummer Caroline Scott are three exciting young professional musicians who have come together to fuse their vast musical influences into a fresh new sound that explores their individual love of styles as diverse as Armenian folk music and grunge-rock within a jazz trio setting. Cygnus Flare won the 2017 Yamaha Soho Jazz Sessions competition which represents some of the finest up and coming jazz acts - after five weeks of live rounds, the final session was judged by Yamaha, Jazz FM and Ronnie Scott's and Cygnus Flare were unanimously announced as the winners. This band are young, fresh and exciting - not to be missed!

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Pianist Arman Vardanyan grew up in Armenia, where he attended music school to study classical piano from the age of eight. He later discovered his love for jazz and was particularly influenced by the playing of Tigran Hamasyan, a pianist who fuses jazz with ethnic Armenian folk music. Since moving to the UK in 2001 he has been actively playing and teaching piano as well as composing within a wide range of genres.

Bassist David Horler has been playing professionally since graduating from LCCM in 2013. He’s currently playing in numerous bands ranging from experimental pop, big band jazz and various function groups. He has been taught by the likes of Jeff Clyne, Paul Morgan, Silas Maitland and Geoff Gascoyne. He has gigged all over London and a few other venues in Europe to boot.

Drummer Caroline Scott is from Scotland, where she started playing drums. After moving to London in 2008, she has played and recorded in a wide range of musical environments, from theatre shows and jazz big bands, to orchestral percussion sections. She has also lived in Boston where she played with college bands at Harvard, Berklee College of Music, New England Conservatory and MIT, and gigged on the local circuit.

Tomorrow’s Warriors Female Frontline

The 9-piece TW Female Frontline developed out of the award-winning Tomorrow’s Warriors Emerging Artist Development Programme based at the Southbank. The ensemble are one of our flagship performance groups, and embodies the Warrior spirit in more than just serious music talent. Playing a selection of upbeat jazz standards, funk and contemporary versions of some well-known classics, the Female Frontliners are led by Aleksandra Topczewska under the tutelage of Gary Crosby OBE. Now in its 26th year, Tomorrow’s Warriors provide support for young musicians and emerging jazz performers, especially to young women and those from diverse backgrounds.  Find our more by visiting: 

www.tomorrowswarriors.org

Band Lineup

Arman Vardanyan (piano)

David Horler (bass)

Caroline Scott (drums)