# Slava Grigoryan

Slava Grigoryan is an Australian classical guitarist and recording artist. He frequently collaborates and performs with his younger brother, fellow guitarist Leonard Grigoryan, performing as the Grigoryan Brothers.

## Career

Grigoryan signed with Sony Music Entertainment in 1995 for whom he released four solo albums.
He changed labels to ABC Classics in 2001 and subsequently released another solo album and an album recorded with his younger brother, Leonard. Frequent collaborators, the pair perform as Grigoryan Brothers and have released five albums, all of which have been nominated for ARIA Awards. In 2014 Grigoryan Brothers released This Time which has been well reviewed. Some of their previous releases include The Seasons and Distance.
Grigoryan also joined with fellow Australian musicians Anthony Field, Karin Schaupp and Gareth Koch to release albums under the group name Saffire. Field was later replaced by Leonard (see Saffire article).
He has been artistic director of the Adelaide Guitar Festival since 2010.

## Personal life

Grigoryan has two children Isabella and Paolo from his first marriage. He married cellist Sharon Draper in December 2016 and their son Sebastian was born in July 2018.

## Discography

List of albums, with Australian chart positions :
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions |
| Title | Album details | AUS |
| Spirit of Spain | Released: June 1995 Label: Sony Masterworks (SMK68351) Format: CD | 93 |
| Dance of the Angel | Released: August 1997 Label: Sony Classic (SK63011) Format: CD | 35 |
| Another Night in London | Released: June 1999 Label: Sony Classic (SK61871) Format: CD | 90 |
| Live In Recital | Released: 2000 Label: Sony Classic (SK89447) Format: CD Recorded live in 1996/97 | — |
| Sonatas & Fantasies | Released: April 2002 Label: ABC Classics (472 2242) Format: CD | 54 |
| Play (with Leonard Grigoryan) | Released: May 2003 Label: ABC Classics (472 8242) Format: CD, digital download | 58 |
| Brazil (with Jane Rutter) | Released: February 2004 Label: ABC Classics (476 1560) Format: CD, digital download | 66 |
| Afterimage | Released: 2004 Label: ABC Classics (476 2271) Format: CD, digital download | — |
| Rodrigo Guitar Concertos (with Leonard Grigoryan) | Released: 2005 Label: ABC Classics (476 8072) Format: CD, digital download | — |
| Shadow Dances: Music for Guitar By Nigel Westlake (with Nigel Westlake) | Released: 2006 Label: ABC Classics (476 5744) Format: CD, digital download | — |
| Impressions (with Leonard Grigoryan) | Released: 2007 Label: ABC Classics (476 6088) Format: CD, digital download | — |
| From a Dream (As MGT, Muthspiel, Grigoryan, Towner) | Released: 2008 Label: Which Way Music (WWM004) Format: CD, digital download | — |
| Baroque Guitar Concertos (As The Grigoryan Brothers) | Released: 2008 Label: ABC Classics (476 5948) Format: CD, digital download | — |
| Distance (As The Grigoryan Brothers) | Released: 2009 Label: Which Way Music (WWM 006) Format: CD, digital download | — |
| Band of Brothers (As Slava & Leonard Grigoryan and Joseph & James Tawadros) | Released: 2011 Label: ABC Classics (476 4316) Format: CD, digital download | |
| My Latin Heart (By José Carbó with Slava and Leonard Grigoryan) | Released: 2012 Label: ABC Classics Format: CD, digital download | |
| Travel Guide (with Ralph Towner & Wolfgang Muthspiel) | Released: 2013 Label: ECM Records (ECM 2310) Format: CD, digital download | |
| This Time (As The Grigoryan Brothers) | Released: March 2014 Label: Which Way Music Format: CD, digital download | |
| The Seasons (As The Grigoryan Brothers with Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky) | Released: 2014 Label: Material Records (MRE 041) Format: CD, digital download | |
| Bach Cello Suites, Volume I | Released: November 2016 Label: ABC Classics (481 4553) Format: CD, digital download | |
| Songs Without Words (As The Grigoryan Brothers) | Released: April 2017 Label: ABC Classics (481 5101) Format: CD, digital download | |
| Migration (with The Australian String Quartet ) | Released: May 2017 Label: ABC Classics (481 5428) Format: CD, digital download | |
| Ali's Wedding (soundtrack) (with Nigel Westlake, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Joseph Tawadros and Lior) | Released: September 2017 Label: ABC Classics (481 5738) Format: CD, digital download | |
| Bach Cello Suites, Volume II | Released: November 2017 Label: ABC Classics (481 6472) Format: CD, digital download | |
| Bach Concertos (As The Grigoryan Brothers with Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and Benjamin Northey) | Released: 2018 Label: ABC Classics (481 6926) Format: CD, digital download | |
| The Thee Cornered Hat: Music of Falla, Rodrigo and Granados (with Southern Cross Soloists) | Released: 2018 Label: ABC Classics Format: CD, digital download | |
| A Boy Called Sailboat (soundtrack) (As The Grigoryan Brothers) | Released: 2019 Label: ABC Classics (481 8406) Format: CD, digital download | |
| Our Place (with Sharon Grigoryan) | Released: 2019 Label: ABC Classics (481 8406) Format: CD, digital download | |
| This Is Us (A Musical Reflection of Australia) (As The Grigoryan Brothers) | Released: March 2021 Label: ABC Classics (485 5753) Format: CD, digital download | |
| Gratitudes | Released: May 2023 Label: Hush Foundation Format: CD, digital download | |

## Awards and recognition

In addition to his achievement in the Tokyo International Classical Guitar Competition, he has won a number of awards including Young Australian of the Year for the Arts in 1998, the Mo award for Instrumentalist of the Year in 2001.
In 2000 he appeared as a soloist with the Australian Chamber Orchestra and was part of the 2000 Sydney Olympics Arts Festival.

### AIR Awards

The Australian Independent Record Awards (commonly known informally as AIR Awards) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
| 2017 | Bach Cello Suites Vol 1 | Best Independent Classical Album | Won |
| 2018 | Bach: Cello Suites Volume II | Best Independent Classical Album | Nominated |
| 2019 | Bach Concertos (as Grigoryan Brothers with Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and Benjamin Northey) | Best Independent Classical Album | Won |
| 2022 | This Is Us: A Musical Reflection of Australia (as Grigoryan Brothers) | Best Independent Classical Album or EP | Nominated |
| 2024 | Gratitudes | Best Independent Classical Album or EP | Nominated |

### ARIA Awards

The ARIA Music Awards are presented annually from 1987 by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Slava Grigoryan won his first ARIA Music Award for Sonatas & Fantasies in 2002. In total, he has won four.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
| 1995 | Spirit of Spain | Best Classical Album | Nominated |
| 1998 | Dance of the Angels | Best Classical Album | Nominated |
| 2002 | Sonatas & Fantasies | Best Classical Album | Won |
| 2003 | Play (Slava Grigoryan and Leonard Grigoryan) | Best Classical Album | Nominated |
| 2004 | Brazil (Slava Grigoryan and Jane Rutter) | Best World Music Album | Nominated |
| 2005 | Afterimage | Best Classical Album | Nominated |
| 2006 | Rodrigo Guitar Concertos (Slava Grigoryan, Leonard Grigoryan, Queensland Orchestra, Brett Kelly) | Best Classical Album | Nominated |
| 2007 | Impressions (Slava Grigoryan and Leonard Grigoryan) | Best Classical Album | Nominated |
| 2008 | Baroque Guitar Concertos (Slava Grigoryan, Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, Benjamin Northey) | Best Classical Album | Nominated |
| 2009 | Distance (Slava Grigoryan and Leonard Grigoryan) | Best Classical Album | Nominated |
| 2011 | Band of Brothers (Slava Grigoryan, Leonard Grigoryan, Joseph Tawadros, James Tawadros) | Best World Music Album | Nominated |
| 2012 | My Latin Heart (Jose Carbo with Slava Grigoryan and Leonard Grigoryan) | Best Classical Album | Nominated |
| 2015 | This Time (Grigoryan Brothers) | Best Classical Album | Nominated |
| 2017 | Bach: Cello Suites Volume I | Best Classical Album | Won |
| 2017 | Songs Without Words (Grigoryan Brothers) | Best Classical Album | Nominated |
| 2017 | Ali's Wedding (soundtrack) (Nigel Westlake & Sydney Symphony Orchestra, with Joseph Tawadros, Slava Grigoryan & Lior) | Best Original Soundtrack or Musical Theatre Cast Album | Won |
| 2018 | Bach: Cello Suites Volume II | Best Classical Album | Won |
| 2019 | Bach Concertos (Grigoryan Brothers, Adelaide Symphony Orchestra & Benjamin Northey) | Best Classical Album | Nominated |
| 2020 | Our Place: Duets for Cello and Guitar | Best Classical Album | Nominated |
| 2020 | A Boy Called Sailboat (Grigoryan Brothers) | Best Original Soundtrack or Musical Theatre Cast Album | Nominated |
| 2021 | This Is Us (A Musical Reflection of Australia) (Grigoryan Brothers) | Best Classical Album | Nominated |
| 2024 | Amistad - Music For Two Guitars (Grigoryan Brothers) | Best Classical Album | Nominated |

### Mo Awards

The Australian Entertainment Mo Awards (commonly known informally as the Mo Awards), were annual Australian entertainment industry awards. They recognise achievements in live entertainment in Australia from 1975 to 2016. Slava Grigoryan won two awards in that time.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result (wins only) |
| 2000 | Slava Grigoryan | Instrumental Performer of the Year | Won |
| 2004 | Slava Grigoryan | Instrumental Performer of the Year | Won |

### South Australian Music Awards

The South Australian Music Awards (previously known as the Fowler's Live Music Awards) are annual awards that exist to recognise, promote and celebrate excellence in the South Australian contemporary music industry. They commenced in 2012.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result (wins only) |
| 2019 | Slava and Leonard Grigoryan with Beijing Duo | Best International Collaboration | Won |