Meredi is a classically trained German-Armenian composer and pianist whose name means "melody" in Armenian. Signed an exclusive agreement with Deutsche Grammophon and released Flourish, the first EP on the label, in June 2024. Don’t miss our conversation with Meredi, covering a career path as a composer, creative rituals, Flourish, upcoming projects, and life.

How did your early piano lessons and musical education shape your career path as a composer? Can you describe your journey from your first piano lesson at six to your professional career today?

Before I started piano lessons, I was already composing music. We had this huge, old, black ex-Soviet Russian piano in our living room, and I saw it as a gateway to a beautiful world—another world, a safe space, a home. Melodies were constantly forming in my head, longing to be expressed, so I started having conversations with the piano. It became my best friend.

When I finally began piano lessons, I only learned to read music so I could write down my own compositions. It was difficult for me to focus on playing pieces by other composers when there was so much music inside me waiting to be brought to life. Fortunately, my piano teachers supported my passion for composing and guided me to other great mentors. By the time I was 12, I was formally studying composition.

Since then, I’ve encountered many trends that tried to pull me in different directions, but the music in my head has always known what it wanted. Through all of life's turbulence, music has been my one constant, my anchor.

How has your cultural background as a German-Armenian influenced your musical style and compositions?

I grew up immersed in classical music, Armenian folk melodies, and pop music from the radio. I believe I carry the deep longing of the Armenian diaspora for home. Armenian folk melodies are incredibly significant—they have been passed down through generations and across borders, forming an essential part of Armenian culture.

Photo: Carla Louise

Are there any non-musical activities or hobbies that help you stay creative and inspired?

Traveling, surfing, and reading.

Can you walk us through your typical process for composing a new piece? Where do you usually start? Do you have any specific rituals or routines that you follow before you start composing?

It usually starts with an overwhelming rush of emotions—a powerful sense of longing, pain, or beauty—accompanied by music that randomly appears in my head. Sometimes it happens during the day, sometimes in my dreams. Sometimes it’s an entire orchestra playing in my mind. It almost feels like remembering something that was never there.

When this happens, I feel an urgent need to get the music out. I immediately run to the piano or record the melody on my phone—often just by singing it—so I don’t forget. Later, I revisit that feeling and develop the melody into a full composition. It’s a dialogue with the music, with the world.

As a child, I believed the melodies came from the stars. I can’t fully describe the process, but it was a challenge when I was younger. I couldn't control it, and it made daily life difficult. For a long time, I thought something was wrong with me. But music doesn’t like to fit into a system—it has its own way of existing. 

Which piece of music that you’ve composed is your favorite, and what makes it special to you?

They’re all my children, but I have a special fondness for both my earliest and my most recent works.

Can you tell us about the inspiration and creative process behind your latest EP "Flourish"? Flourish has a very evocative title. What does this word mean to you, and how does it reflect the music on the EP?

Flourish is about a soul searching for a home—a place where it can grow and truly flourish. It’s a deeply personal story, inspired by my own experience of leaving my hometown, Berlin, in search of belonging.

I traveled the world, only to realize in the end that home isn’t a place—it’s people. Much of this album was composed while I was on airplanes, and that sense of movement is reflected in the piece Double Sky, where the main melody drifts through most of the tracks, much like a soul traveling from one place to another, searching for home.

What does your recent signing with Deutsche Grammophon mean for your career, and what can we expect from this new partnership?

I’m currently working on a lot of new music that I will be recording with Deutsche Grammophon, and I’m excited to collaborate with incredible musicians from the classical music world.

How do you stay motivated and inspired when working on long-term projects?

By diving in and never diving out!

Can you share any details about your upcoming projects or collaborations?

I’m looking forward to completing some classical compositions I’m working on right now, as well as collaborations with artists from the electronic music scene. There’s a lot in the works!

Finally, from your perspective, what is the meaning of life?

The mission to find out exactly that.