André Manoukian

Born of Armenian parents in Lyon on April 9, 1957, André Manoukian learned to play the piano and violin, and went on to study at Boston's Berklee College of Music in 1977. A classically trained pianist, he became interested in jazz and formed a big band when, in 1983, he discovered singer Liane Foly, becoming her accompanist, songwriter, producer and companion until 1995. His experience as a session musician in chanson and jazz, alongside Michel Petrucciani, Richard Galliano, Charles Aznavour, Gilbert Bécaud, Diane Dufresne, Nicole Croisille, Dick Rivers, Camille Bazbaz and Malia, led to a place as a juror on the popular TV talent show Nouvelle star (2003-2012), which brought him to the attention of the general public. He founded his own Va Savoir label, under which he released the instrumental album Inkala (2008), and appeared on television as a host and actor. In 2010, the album So in Love features jazz standards performed by Anaïs, Camélia Jordana, Helena Noguerra, Emily Loizeau, Cocoon, China Moses and Tété. TV host on La France a un incroyable talent, La Vie secrète des chansons and the Eurovision Song Contest, radio commentator and founder of the Cosmojazz festival in 2010, André Manoukian composes for film and produces the albums Melanchology (2011), Apatride (2017) and Les Pianos de Gainsbourg (2021), featuring Melody Gardot, Isabelle Adjani, Rosemary Standley, Élodie Frégé, Camille Lellouche and Camélia Jordana. In the next two albums, Anouch (2022) and La Sultane (2025), the pianist explores his oriental roots.