Dave Geodakyan

Dave Geodakyan is a young Armenian classical and jazz composer, conductor, double bass player and educator. He is the founder artistic director and conductor of the Big Band at the State Music School after A. Spendiaryan. Geodakyan aims to lighten up people through music by consciously bending the seriousness of the academic style.

Dave was born on March 7th of 1992. Grandson of composer Gevorg Armenyan, musicologists Gevorg Geodakyan and Alina Pahlevanyan, Geodakyan was surrounded with music and music theory from childhood. After graduating from the Music School after Sayat-Nova, he put down music to study applied mathematics and informatics at Russian-Armenian (Slavonic) University. But music followed him there, and, moreover, he made his first steps on the stage; he started to play bass guitar in different rock groups.

Back to music. Next stop - Komitas State Conservatory of Yerevan, faculty of academic composition, under the guidance of People’s artist of Armenia Yervand Yerznkyan. Geodakyan also did his masters in the same faculty, and science 2014 got to meet the double bass - his main instrument for music expression today, like on electric bass he is self-taught on the instrument.

In 2013, Dave Geodakyan founded a youth jazz orchestra in music school after A. Spendiaryan. Which shortly after has received a state position and support. Geodakyan is the artistic director, main arranger and principal conductor of the Big Band to this day. In recognition of the band’s achievements and of the achievements as a conductor Geodakyan has received certificates from Armenian Jazz Association and Yerevan Town Hall.

Since 2014, Dave is a double bass and bass guitar player and part time arranger at Armenian Public Radio & Television Symphonic-Jazz Orchestra under the guidance of composer Yervand Yerznkyan.

Geodakyan knows the importance of preserving academic music and transferring it to the new generations. That is the reason behind the classes he teaches in the State Conservatory of Yerevan, and the classes include work with jazz ensemble, jazz harmony and improvisation. He also has many students outside the Conservatory, he teaches classical harmony, orchestration and composition.

As a bass player, Dave Geodakyan was part of Traffic Jam (2013-2015), Chico’s New Trio (2015-2017) and Aram Vardani Group (2015-2017), apart of his own sextet, quartet and “Beatles in Jazz” project he’s a current member of Fifth Season, founded by Arto Tunçboyacıyan and Vahagn Hayrapetyan, Armen Hyusnunts’ Jazz Quartet, and Arm.Strong Dixie band, where Geodakyan is also the art director and arranger.

Geodakyan participated in various festivals and concerts in the region Europe. He has performed with Peter Lehel, Chico Freeman, and Zaid Nasser. Dave frequently performs with sax player and composer Davit Melkonyan, pianist and composer Karen Grigoryan, pianists Rafael Petrossyan and Karen Mamikonyan. Festivals include: Armenian Culture Days at Stuttgart (2015), Annual Jazz Festival in Russia (2017), Caucasus Jazz Festival in Tbilisi, Georgia (2017), Yerevan International Jazz Festivals (2015-2019), International Jazz Days in Armenia (2014-2019), Together for Music Art Festival (2020) and Armenian Jazz Festival in Tavush (2020).

Nowadays, Dave Geodakyan is one of the most recognized and active composers in Armenian music scene. He has released his debut album On the Run, which was created by the sextet the artist has founded - Dave Geodakyan Sextet. Released by Oberton Records, the album contains original compositions of Dave Geodakyan and sextet members that are a blend of hip-hop/funk and traditional and fusion jazz with a strong connection to the last couple of decades of Armenian jazz culture. On the Run is an original concept album about the hectic pace of life, being on the run all the time, and aims to remind the runners not to forget about their inner peace.