Window of Hope: Music of the Mashruteh
Concert - Roshani Ensemble
31 July 2006, 8pm
Jacqueline du Pre Music Building, St Hilda's College, Cowley Place, Oxford
3 August 2006, 8pm
Brunei Gallery Auditorium, SOAS, Russell Square, London
A concert presenting the musical repertoire related to the Iranian Constitutional Revolution. A period of Iran's history, which marks the beginning of the modern era, and is also essential for music and musical life in the country.
FARSHAD MOHAMMADI began studying the santoor from an early age. His principle teachers were Parviz Meshkatian and Pashang Kamkar.
Farshad's contemporary approach to Persian music both as a performer and composer is in line with the requirements of this developing culture and he has remained faithful to these traditions whilst expanding them in various collaborations and different musical participations.
Broadcast ventures include collaboration with the BBC World Service in London and Dutch radio station Easy 97.9 FM and presenting a recital of Persian santoor music for ITV1 (UK). He has recorded as a soloist, accompanist and continuo player working with ensembles including Nonawa, Hamraz, Chavosh and Parnian.
His recording credits include Ashk for Kalan Music. Farshad has also composed the scores for Finding Memet by Sadek Asha and On the Line of Sound, a Film by Chris Taylor for ITV; Sufi Trance, a film by Christine Taylor for BBC Prime (winner of the best short film in Chicago International Film Festival, nominated for the best sound effects for the Edinburgh Festival).
His recent concert engagements have included the, Rotterdam World Music Festival, Berlin Traditional Music Festival, Montreal World Music Festival, Brighton Festival, Nottingham Music Festival, Festival Dag Oude Muziek (Belgium) and the Ontario music Festival in London, Ontario (Path of Farid Al-din, Attar). He has also performed as a soloist in Europe, and Iran. Farshad has participated in various seminars and work shops in Germany, the Netherlands and England and has been giving performance lectures at the University of London for several years. Farshad is a research associate of Ethnomusicology and performance for the Faculty of Music at SOAS (University of London).
HAMID GHANBARI started learning tombak in 1994 with Bahman Radjabi. He is currently a music student of Soureh University in Tehran. He has been involved in various concerts. Hamid edited and rewrote the book by Nasser Eftetah (Methods of Tombak Playing) with the help of Pedram Khavarzamini. He participated in a percussion recording Kootah. He has also played in Saye Roshane Mahtab sang by Bijan Kamkar, Avijak CD which is an Electro percussive production and he also participated in Raze Eshgh and Atash va Ney by Behzad Forouhari. He follows the style of both Bahman Rajabi and Nasser Eftetah. His festival engagements include The Fete de la Musique festival, des Augustins Toulouse, and the Amdathtra in Lausanne, as well as Asia Holy Music festival in Baku. Hamid is one of the best performers of his generation and is now part of the Aftab Ensemble which was established by Hamid Khabazi.
SAEED KAMJOO is a Persian composer and player of kamanche (bowed spike-fiddle). He has been rigorously trained in the instrumental and vocal repertoires of Persian classical music (radif) by such renowned masters as Ardeshir Kamkar, Akbar Shekartchi, Hatam Askari and ustad Ali Asghar Bahari. He has been studying Persian musical manuscripts and ancient rhythmic modes for several years.
His innovative approach towards the playing of kamanche is based on his perception of values inherent in Persian classical music. He searches new idioms while performing and developing his music, by using the ornamentation of radif to discover new possibilities.
Saeed's contemporary approach towards musical traditions, influenced by recent musical trends, has redirected his career. He has been pursuing music composition in response to new concerns about cultural change and its different requirements.
He has made several appearances on radio and television interviews and has been invited to various International programmes and music festivals around the world such as Musique Multi (Canada), Legacy of Genghis Khan (USA) and the Sacra Musica Festival (Germany). He has given lecture-demonstrations, and workshops throughout Canada and Europe and has participated in many recordings such as Spring of Shiraz, En Passant, Lousnak and Persian Songs of the 19th Century Qajar Court.
He migrated to Canada in 1997 and since then has collaborated with various creative ensembles in Canada, USA, Germany and UK and has been received with tremendous enthusiasm in many events and festivals.
HAMID KHABAZI is one of the well known musicians of the new generation in Iran, who has his own approach to Persian contemporary music. He has studied under great masters such as Mohammad Reza Lotfi, Hossein Alizadeh and Dariush Talaee.
His performances include a concert with Ross Daly in the Theatre de la Ville in Paris, the opening ceremony at the Olympic Games of Athens with the Labyrinth Ensemble accompanying Ross Daly. He has also performed alongside Kayhan Kalhor and his ensemble on their successive tours in the USA, as well as Arshad Tahmasbi, one of the masters of Tar. He is known for his ability of blending traditional styles with contemporary approaches.
His recording credits include Eshgh Maand by Arshad Tahmasbi, Dargozar and Dar Khaneyeh Aftaab, both by M R Fayaz, Iris, Rainbow by Ross Daly, Aqri to Donya and Kismet, both by Petrakis.
Hamid has participated in numerous festivals around the globe including the Earthquake Festival, Decibel X-Track as well as the Fajr Music Festival in Iran.
He established the Aftab Ensemble in 1994 with the help of a group of highly esteemed musicians and is now engaged in a solo tar playing project.