Slava and Sharon Grigoryan tour Our Place

THE golden couple of Australian classical music, guitar virtuoso Slava Grigoryan and acclaimed cellist Sharon Grigoryan, return to the region with their Our Place tour, performing in Brunswick Heads on July 23 and at the Northern Rivers Conservatorium in Lismore on July 24.

The Grigoryans are known for their passionate and sensitive performances, with a repertoire spanning cultures, generations, and genres – from the standard works for guitar and cello by Vivaldi, Granados, and Piazzolla to contemporary composers, their own compositions, and new arrangements of familiar favourites.

Heading out of Sydney at the outset of the run, Sharon Grigoryan said the couple loved regional touring.

“We love everything about these tours,” she said.

“We love travelling through parts of our country and stopping off at tiny towns for lunch and meeting locals.

“With the performances, big cities get visiting artists and their local orchestras all the time, and it’s easy.

“There’s nothing about what you do that the locals take for granted, and there’s a real sense of genuine appreciation for what you do in the regions.

“The venues are smaller, which means there’s more interaction, and it’s just a much more real and personal experience, which we adore.”

Slava Grigoryan is an internationally recognised guitar master with a distinguished reputation. His celebrated collaborations include the trio with legendary American guitarist Ralph Towner and Austrian guitarist Wolfgang Muthspiel, as well as his duo with his brother, Leonard.

He has served as the Artistic Director of the Adelaide Guitar Festival since 2009.

Sharon Grigoryan has forged a formidable career throughout Australia, performing with all major symphony orchestras and chamber ensembles, including her seven-year tenure with the Australian String Quartet.

She was a member of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and a core member of the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra, having also performed with the Australian Chamber Orchestra, the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, and the Spira Mirabilis Chamber Orchestra.

As the Artistic Director of the Barossa, Baroque and Beyond Music Festival from 2016 to 2021, she was appointed Associate Principal Cello with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra in 2023.

Their debut album, Our Place, was nominated for Best Classical Album at the 2020 ARIA Awards.

Grigoryan was born into a musical world, with a school music and piano teacher mother and a guitar teacher father.

“Mum taught me piano from a very early age,” she said.

“When I joined the Melbourne Youth Orchestra in Year 11, I realised I was passionate about the cello.”

The couple met when the young musician was 19 and a member of the Australian Youth Orchestra, but they didn’t become a couple until 12 years later.

The cellist said it was always a genuine meeting of musical minds, and now they enjoyed a rich family life on tour.

“Right now, we’re on the road with our six-year-old son Sebastian, who is very used to the touring life,” she said.

“It never feels like work – it always feels like a paid family holiday.

“Of course, during the performance, sharing the intimacy of music with your life partner is an incomparable experience.”

For tickets, visit brunswickpicturehouse.com/sharon-slava-grigoryan-our-place-23-jul