From the day he found his grandfather’s instrument, life and playing the oud have never been the same. John Bilezikjian has devoted his life to music. He took an ancient folk instrument, the oud, and expanded its range into areas never before explored. In this country, most people are only aware of the oud as […]
Chances are you have never heard his name. Odds are even higher you have never heard of the instrument he plays. Nevertheless, the Southland is home to a master musician who has spent the last 50 years performing worldwide on stages large and small. From intimate nightclubs, to European appearances before royalty, John Bilezikjian has […]
Even during their studies with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, The Beatles probably had no idea an instrument called an oud existed. On the other hand, oudist John Bilezikjian had no idea who they were. “When I first started out, I had no idea who The Beatles were, or Simon and Garfunkel. Then one day I […]
Some of John Bilezikjian’s earliest memories are of Sunday afternoons when his house filled with scores of friends and family who often brought their instruments for a day of fellowship and the songs they loved. In a home imbued with Armenian tradition and music, Bilezikjian became fascinated with a strange looking instrument in his grandfather’s […]
It began with violin lessons at the age of five from his father, Andrew. It continued in a home imbued with Armenian tradition and music where, on Sundays, scores of friends and family gathered after church, often bringing their instruments for a day of fellowship and the songs they loved. Wrapped in familial love, the […]