guitar/oud/percussion

The Grigoryan and Tawadros family names are synonymous with Australian classical music. Guitar virtuosi, Slava and Leonard Grigoryan join the extraordinarily talented Joseph and James Tawadros for an adventurous musical partnership that crosses musical boundaries.

Since a young age, Slava Grigoryan has been performing with major international orchestras including the London Philharmonic, BBC Concert Orchestra, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. He has also performed at concerts and Festivals in Europe, Asia, North and South America, including a Great Guitars Tour with the legendary flamenco guitarist Paco Pẽna.

His brother, Leonard Grigoryan also started performing publicly at a young age and had great success in national competitions and festivals. He regularly tours for Musica Viva and has performed in Africa, Europe, America and Asia. Leonard has also been a soloist with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Queensland Symphony Orchestra, the Academy of Melbourne and the Melbourne Musicians Chamber Orchestra.

Having always played together as brothers, a duo was an inevitable part of their careers. In 1999 they began performing regularly together and have since toured the country many times. In 2001, Leonard was the only guest artist on Slava’s ARIA award winning album and their first duo album was also nominated for an ARIA. They enjoyed another highly successful Australia-wide tour in 2003 and are back together again to perform with the Tawadross brothers in this special musical event.

Joseph Tawadros immigrated to Australia from Cairo and brought with him a musical tradition inherited from his maternal grandfather who was a composer and oud and violin virtuoso. Joseph has studied with Mohamed Youssef, a renowned oud player and jazz pianist who encouraged him to explore the musical parameters of the oud instrument and the improvisatory style of traditional Egyptian taqasim. Joseph has performed at some of the world’s most renowned venues with many esteemed artists including The Australian Chamber Orchestra. In 2006, he received the very prestigious Freedman Fellowship for Classical Music – chosen from amongst Australia’s finest classical musicians.

Joseph’s brother, James Tawadros also inherited the musical tradition of his grandfather, as well as that of his uncle who was a legendary Egyptian trumpet pioneer. Joseph’s main instrument is the req, which is a small hand held tambourine traditionally with skin covering and five pairs of cymbals. Although he is only 17yrs of age, James has already made a name for himself as a world class percussionist and soloist. He has also preformed with esteemed artists such as The Australian Chamber Orchestra and received an ARIA nomination for his album.

Band of Brothers have been described as a display of improvised and organised genius.