Edward Manukyan
Edward Manukyan (Էդվարդ Մանուկյան) is an Armenian-born composer from Southern California. He gave up an early career as a jazz pianist/songwriter and went to study music at the California State University in Los Angeles, receiving a Master of Music degree in composition (2007). Manukyan's works are full of inspirations from Armenian folklore, exploiting the rich and driving rhythms of the Caucasus. In the recent years he has been dedicating a great deal of his new works to scientists, such as physicist Richard Feynman, biologist James Watson, linguist and author Noam Chomsky, and others, often appearing at concert/lectures to raise appreciation for sciences.(1)
Manukyan is an author of over a dozen large-scale symphonic works, chamber music and vocal compositions. He is a member of the American Society of Composers and Publishers (ASCAP) and an active collaborator with musicians from around the globe.(2)