Andrew (Antranig) David Kzirian (born Newton, MA,
Philadelphia origin, Los Angeles-based c. 1978) is an American musician of
Armenian ancestry known for his mastery and innovative style of oud
interpretation, the Middle Eastern stringed instrument. Kzirian is known
particularly for both his fusion-based oud style, and the study of the oud’s
history in Armenian music and culture.

A member of a multi-generational Armenian-American
family, Kzirian’s ancestral roots lie in Sepastia, Arabkir, Yozgat and Marash
in historic Armenia. Kzirian embarked on his musical journey by beginning the
study of classical guitar at the age of 9. He then picked up the oud at 19
while pursuing a degree in International Relations at the University of
Pennsylvania – studying with Pharmacist and seasoned oud specialist Dr. Ara Der
Martirossian. In contrast to many Armenian-American oud players, Kzirian was
the first in his family to study and play the oud, although sharing musical
interests with his younger brother James (percussion, violin, clarinet,
vocals). Kzirian also transitioned to the oud after studying guitar – a fairly
uncommon practice as many of his predecessors and peers were violinists.

Over the course of several years, Kzirian personally
studied with oud masters Ara Dinkjian and John Bilezikjian, kanun master Jack
Chalikian, and maintains close relationships with the leading Armenian-American
oud players of preceding generations such as John Berberian, Mal Barsamian,
Mark Gavoor, and many others. In addition to the aforementioned players, George
Mgrdichian, coincidentally from Kzirian’s hometown of Philadelphia, and Richard
Hagopian were also important influences on Kzirian’s oud development, in
addition to the aforementioned players.

Kzirian first recorded oud music as a member of the
Philadelphia-based Aravod Ensemble, a group of musicians dedicated to playing
traditional and modern Armenian folk, classical and dance music for both
musical appreciation and social occasions. With this as a strong base, Kzirian
then expanded beyond this genre through the Los Angeles based History Series
recordings with percussionist Barrett Yeretsian and pianist Greg Hosharian.
These recordings featured the oud in both a classical and folk setting, and
also included original compositions. These projects were done simultaneously to
Kzirian’s experimentation with numerous rock projects as a guitarist and
lyricist.

After earning a law degree at Villanova University,
Kzirian relocated to Los Angeles, California, where he joined the rock fusion
project Viza, making significant contributions to the band’s sound,
organization and growth. He also later earned a graduate degree in
International Finance from Columbia University. While a student at Columbia,
Kzirian heavily researched the oud academically in Armenian-American life under
the direction of Professor Melissa Bilal, and organized and performed on campus
with famed oud master Ara Dinkjian in a duet oud concert.  Aside from
Gomidas, Sayat Nova and other commonly known Armenian composers, this concert
featured pieces composed by Armenian luminaries of the Ottoman period, such as
Bimen Sen Der Ghazarian, Oudi Hrant Kenkulian and Kemani Tatyos Efendi
Emkecyan, to help raise awareness of their musical works. Kzirian’s research
and writing on the history and ethnomusicology of the oud at Columbia set out
to document and preserve the significant cultural beginnings and evolution of
the instrument in the Armenian American Diaspora setting of the Eastern United
States. In furthering the works of these composers, Kzirian co-founded String
Harmonies with accomplished artists, bassist Vik Momjian and violinist Yervand
Kaladjian, focusing on reintroducing forgotten works while also pushing the
boundaries of the oud’s experimental potential. Kzirian’s most recent work
relates to Viza, where he engages in significant experimentation and fusion
incorporating the oud into modern rock and metal, positioning the oud in an
unprecedented and aggressive fusion rock setting.

Kzirian has been featured in numerous concerts, recordings,
and soundtracks, and has toured the world with various acts including Grammy
Award winning System of a Down lead singer Serj Tankian. Kzirian’s oud is
featured on Tankian’s track “Ching Chime”, released on the record “Harakiri”.
Kzirian’s performances and recording credits extend to works with The Gaslamp
Killer, duduk master Jivan Gasparyan, Jr., Capital Cities (co-founded by Sebu
Simonian), solo artists Gor Mkhitarian, Sonya Varujan, hip-hop fusion standout
Bei Ru, Vatsche Barsoumian and Artashes Kartalyan of the Lark Musical Society
and several accomplished artists throughout the world. He has also showcased
the oud at some of the largest festivals in the world, including Download,
Sziget, Aftershock, and has performed on tour with Viza as support for gypsy
punk rockers Gogol Bordello and reggae rockers Skindred. Future projects for
Kzirian include collaborating with Gasparyan on a recording highlighting the
oud and duduk as representing the union of two rich traditions of Armenian
music, teaming with Maestro Hosharian to create oud-based music scored in an
orchestral setting, a dedicated oud record showcasing the instrument, further
compositions with String Harmonies and continued work with his project Viza.

Kzirian has forged a new direction for the oud, blazing a
new path which blends traditional styles and scales with modern technology and
approaches to redefine and reinvent the instrument, while still staying true to
the passion, mastery and focus of the rich Armenian oud tradition. He now lives
in Los Angeles working in the finance and legal worlds, while focus his
artistic pursuits on his various projects, teaching his growing number of oud
students – all while maintaining an active performance schedule.

Kzirian plans to release a full length recording of oud
music featuring original and traditional compositions in November 2017. The
recorded material will be accompanied by artwork designed by Simon Majarian,
creating a vivid visual experience to accompany the audio of each recorded
track.