Arga Bileg ethno jazz band was founded in 2009 by group of 11 professional musicians and dancers. Arga Bileg presents jazz music in a traditional, Mongolian folk context using traditional Mongolian and western music instruments to create new compositions as well as contemporary interpretations of folk songs.

Arga Bileg aims to lead the modern music and dance scene in Mongolia with their new fusion style. The band’s performances are staged with contemporary set design and they include electronic elements in their compositions and live set.

Members of the band are award winning musicians, composers, dancers and choreographers who have performed in many prestigious venues of the world including Carnegie Hall in New York, National Grand Theater in Beijing, Orchard Hall in Tokyo and the Vienna Philharmonic in Vienna.

The band has been part of many international and local projects such as the Sound and Light training run by the Arts Council of Mongolia, a tour to Mongolia by multi Grammy Award winning Latino rock-hip hop-salsa band Ozomatli, and the Dev film project by Cinebox Art Group. In June of 2010, the band released two new albums – the ethno jazz record Deelt and the soundtrack to horror film Dev. The albums were launched with a special performance at the State Philharmonic Hall in Ulaanbaatar.

The musicians

GANTULGA Ganbat
Percussionist and band leader

Gantulga Ganbat is the founder of Arga Bileg and serves as the leader of the band. In 2009, he gathered together the 11 members of the band for his retrospective performance ‘The Call of Existence’ and this collaboration marked the formation of the band. Gantulga graduated from the Music and Dance College of Mongolia in 2001 as a percussionist and has been working at the National Morin Khuur Ensemble since 1999. With the ensemble, he has toured the world and performed at premier venues including the Berlin Philharmonic Hall (2004), Geneva UNESCO office in Switzerland (2004), UNESCO Headquarters in France (2005), Vienna Philharmonic Hall in Austria (2004), National Theater of Korea, Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, Taiwan (2007), Orchard Hall, Osaka Symphony Hall, Sapporo Symphony Hall, Yokohama Cultural Center in Japan (1997-2009), National Grand Theater in Beijing (2009) and many more. In 2002, he entered the Fine Art Institute of Mongolia to major in Decorative Art and graduated in 2006. Upon his graduation, his produced several masterpieces including ‘The Call’, a Mongolian drum set. He received his Bachelors degree in percussion and teaching from the Music and Dance College of Mongolia in 2008.

DAVAAZORIG Altangerel
Morin Khuur (horse head fiddle) player and throat singer

Davaazorig graduated from the Music and Dance College of Mongolia in 1997 and joined the National Morin Khuur Ensemble in 1992. Together with the ensemble, he has represented Mongolia at the World Culture Open Festival in Korea (2004), Berlin Philharmonic Hall in Germany (2004), Cultural Days of Mongolia in major cities of Canada including Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal (2005), Cultural Days of Mongolia in Ankara, Turkey (2005), UNESCO office in Geneva, Switzerland (2004), UNESCO Headquarters in France (2005), Vienna Philharmonic Hall in Austria (2004), Mongol Nations Folk Art Festival in Russia (2006), University of Arts in Rome, Italy (2006), National Theater of Korea, Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, Taiwan (2007), Orchard Hall, Osaka Symphony Hall, Sapporo Symphony Hall, Yokohama Cultural Center in Japan (1997-2009) and National Grand Theater in Beijing (2009). As a solo musician and throat singer Davaazorig released his album ‘Echo’ in 2008. Besides being a musician, Davaazorig also challenges himself with studio recording. He recently opened his own recording studio, ‘Color Music’ which supports emerging young musicians and singers in Mongolia. Davaazorig also has been a part of international residencies and projects including a six month Cultural Partnership Initiative Program at the National Theater of Korea, ‘APPAN’ Asian Pacific Performing Art Conference 2010 and a Summer in Abu Dhabi-World Culture Festival.

BATZAYA Khadhuu
Morin khuur (horse head fiddle) player and concert master

Batzaya is originally from the Gobi-Altai province of Mongolia and graduated from the Music and Dance College of Mongolia in 2001 as a morin khuur player. With his significant experience and talent, he serves not only as a morin khuur player but also as the concert master of the National Morin Khuur Ensemble. Since 1997, Batzaya has toured internationally and performed at Carnegie Hall in New York, the Berlin Philharmonic Hall in Germany (2004), Geneva UNESCO office in Switzerland (2004), UNESCO Headquarters in France (2005), Vienna Philharmonic Hall in Austria (2004), National Theater of Korea, Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, Taiwan (2007), Orchard Hall, Osaka Symphony Hall, Sapporo Symphony Hall, Yokohama Cultural Center in Japan (1997-2009) and the National Grand Theater in Beijing (2009). In 2008, Batzaya and fellow band member Davaazorig spent six months on a world music residency in Korea under the Cultural Partnership Initiative Program at the National Theater of Korea. Batzaya received his Bachelos degree in morin khuur and teaching in 2009 from the Music and Dance College of Mongolia.

MUNKHTOGTOKH Ochirkhuyag
Yatga (zither) player

Munkhtogtokh Ochirkhuyag is one of the best zither players in Mongolia. Munkhtogtokh graduated from the Music and Dance College of Mongolia in 1997 and in same year joined the National Morin Khuur Ensemble of Mongolia as one of their four yatga players. Munkhtogtokh is also member of the all-women music group ‘Khulan’ and has participated in international tours to the Berlin Philharmonic Hall in Germany (2004), Geneva UNESCO office in Switzerland (2004), UNESCO Headquarter in France (2005), Vienna Philharmonic Hall in Austria (2004), National Theater of Korea, Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, Taiwan (2007), Orchard Hall, Osaka Symphony Hall, Sapporo Symphony Hall, Yokohama Cultural Center in Japan (1997-2009) and National Grand Theater in Beijing (2009). With her remarkable talent, she was awarded the Leading Cultural Worker Award by the Mongolian Government in 2005 and won the ‘Silver Tree’ best musician award of Mongolia in 2008, the State Labor Honorarium Award in 2009 and 2nd place in the National Traditional Musician Competition in 2008. After receiving the ‘Silver Tree’, Munkhtogtokh made her retrospective concert ‘Harmony of Zither’ at the Philharmonic Hall of Mongolia and released her solo album ‘Everlasting’ in 2010.

PUREVSUKH Tyeliman
Pianist and composer

Purevsukh Tyeliman is a multifaceted musician and recognized as one of the best young music composers of modern Mongolian music. Purevsukh studied piano and composition at the Music and Dance College of Mongolia and the Kazakh National Music Academy in Astana, Kazakhstan and graduated in 2006. He has participated in international piano competitions in France and Spain and has toured around Kazakhstan. Purevsukh has been commissioned for many international events and projects including the ‘Feel Wind’ Modern Dance Training project by the Arts Council of Mongolia, the American Dance Festival (2006) and Giant Steppe International Jazz Festival in Mongolia in 2006 and 2008. He currently serves as a pianist and a composer for Arga Bileg as well as popular Mongolian indie band A-Sound. Purevsukh focuses on composing different styles of music including contemporary classical, alternative, rock, ethno and post-pop-jazz to create new sounds and music in Mongolia. Purevsukh wrote and recorded music for A-Sound’s 2008 album ‘Release’ as well as Arga Bileg’s ‘Deelt’ and ‘Dev’ andfellow band member Munkhtogtokh’s 2010 solo album.

JIGJIDDORJ Nanzaddorj
Morin khuur (horse head fiddle) player

Jigjiddorj Nanzaddorj is the youngest member of both Arga Bileg and the National Morin Khuur Ensemble of Mongolia. Despite his young age, he is recognized as the best young morin khuur player in Mongolia and is a leading soloist in both groups. At a mere 18 years, he won first place in the Junior Morin Khuur Competition in 2007, third in the National Traditional Musician Competition in 2008 and second place in the 2010 National Morin Khuur Competition. He is currently a sophomore at the Music and Dance College of Mongolia and joined the National Morin Khuur Ensemble in 2008. Since then he has performed as a soloist at the finest venues in Asia including the National Theater of Korea and National Grand Theater in Beijing (2009). Moreover, his talent was recognized by the President of Mongolia, Elbegdorj Tsakhia in 2010 with the president inviting Jigjiddorj to join his trip to the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland to present Mongolia at the meeting. Likewise, he was chosen to perform with three-times Grammy award winning Latino-hip hop-salsa band ‘Ozomatli’ when they played in front of over 25,000 people at Sukhbaatar Square, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia in 2010.

BAYASGALAN Terbish
Percussionist

Bayasgalan Terbish is Arga Bileg’s newest member, but he played a key role in creating the albums ‘Deelt’ and ‘Dev’. Bayasgalan graduated from the Music and Dance College of Mongolia in 2001 as a percussionist. He joined the ‘Moon Stone’ National Song and Dance Ensemble in 2005 and after working for four years at the ensemble joined Arga Bileg. Simultaneously, from 2009 to 2010 he worked as a percussionist at the National Song and Dance Ensemble of the Railroad of Mongolia.