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Kourosh Taghavi
Kourosh Taghavi was born in Gorgan, Iran in 1965. After his migration to the United States in 1984 he began studying the Setar with Ms. Partow Houshmand-Rad. He later had the great fortune to continue his studies of the Setar and classical music of Iran with Ostad Mohammad Reza Lotfi and Ostad Hossein Alizadeh. These ongoing studies are the source of his unique approach to the art of Iranian music. Taghavi’s passionate and melodic approach to music is the foundation of his many collaborations and recordings with numerous artists performing both the traditional and modern art forms of Iranian music.
Taghavi is one of the founding members of Goosheh, Seda, and Namâd Ensembles with which he has toured throughout the US. He is also a founding member of The Sayeh Poetry and Music Society. His recent collaborations, celebrating the poetry and life of Rumi, with renowned master artists such as Hossein Omoumi, Robert Bly and Coleman Barks are some of the highlights of his efforts in promoting Persian classical music and poetry. As a faculty member of San Diego State University, Taghavi taught the Radiff of Persian classical music and oversaw related theses. He has been teaching the Setar throughout California, lecturing, composing original music for plays, creating compositions based on contemporary Iranian poetry, and recording passionate solo pieces. These are only few of many goals Taghavi has accomplished in his passionate quest for introducing and promoting Persian classical music.
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Afshin Mehrassa
Afshin Mehrassa, born in 1964 in Sanandaj started learning Santour (dulcimer) at age 9 under the supervision of the late Master Biazar. Very soon however, he realized his passion was greater in percussive instruments. Soon after he began taking classes on Tombak and Daf, and eventually he picked the Daf as his main instrument.
Daf is a spiritual instrument among Kurds and must be played with passion as well as skill. These elements are clearly noticeable in Mehrassa’s technique. Mehrassa has lived in California since 1984 and has toured as a guest performer with many ensembles such as Dastan, Oshagh and has performed with many renowned artists such as Housain Alizadeh, Pejmon Haddadi, Shahram Nazeri, Ali Akbar Moradi, Ardeshir Kamkar and Hussein Omoumi. He is currently a member of Namâd Ensemble.
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Khosro Ansari
Khosro Anasri is a renowned vocalist of Persian classical music. Khosro began his formal training of the Persian classical music at an early age under the tutelage of Master Ali Asghar Shahzeidi in Isfahan, Iran. He migrated to the Untied States in 1988 where he continued his research and study of vocal music of Iran. He performed in numerous concerts in North America as the feature vocalist where he was received enthusiastically by large audiences. Khosro who is one of the most exceptional vocalist of Persian Classical music abroad was also featured in numerous motion pictures and TV series such as Spy Game, Man on Fire, ER and Third watch to name a few. His recent outstanding compositions on contemporary poetry of Iran was one of the highlights of Namaad Ensemble’s recent performance. Khosro resides in Los Angels were he pursues Persian and World music.
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Mehrdad
Arabi
Internationally acclaimed Master of Persian music, Mehrdad Arabi has received numerous awards for his work from the likes of Daytona Symphony Society, University of Borneo, the City of Madrid and the City of Nicosia in Cypress. He was recently awarded the prestigious Master Musician Fellowship from the Durfee Foundation in Los Angeles. Arabi began studying Tombak as a teenager with the renowned Morteza Ayan & Nasser Eftetaah. In addition to Tombak and Daf, he is proficient in the Kemanche and Violin. Arabi is one of a handful of musicians who has studied both the traditional and the contemporary approaches to the Tombak and utilizes both in his compositions as a soloist as well as an accompanist. His signature style of Tombak playing is clear and crisp. Arabi has participated in more than 20 recordings as a performer, composer and arranger. The highlights of this collection are his recordings with two of the legends of Persian music, Hassan Kasaie and Jalil Shahnaz, with whom he has also appeared in concert. He has also recorded sound-tracks for Hollywood films including The Passion of Christ, Hidalgo and Helen of Troy. He has composed the score and played a full orchestra for the first Iranian American cartoon in the United States, Babak’s First Norooz.
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Saeed Kamjoo
Saeed Kamjoo, born in 1965 in Tehran, Iran, is a Persian musician and composer. He started learning Kamanche at the age of seventeen under supervision of Ardeshir Kâmkâr. He furthered his studies in instrumental and vocal repertoires of Persian classical music under the guidance of such renowned masters as Ali Akbar Shekârchi, and Ustad Asghar Bahâri. He is also a graduate of the School of Fine Arts from Tehran University.
His approach in playing Kamanche is based on his perception of values inherent in Classical Persian music. Kamjoo's style of playing Kamanche combines creativity and authenticity with innovation. Although his music has its roots in classical Persian music, he allows himself to explore the new.
Kamjoo moved to Montreal, Canada in 1997 and has since been collaborating with various ensembles in Canada, U.S.A and Europe. He has recorded many albums and performed in numerous music festivals around the world. Saeed Kamjoo has also performed with Dastan Ensemble, one of the most renowned Persian musical groups, as a guest artist. He is a co-founder of Namâd Ensemble.
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