Monthly Archives: June 2011

Ashraf o-Sadat Mortezaie (1924 – 2010), known professionally as Marzieh, was a Tehran-born singer of Persian traditional music. Marzieh started her career in the 1940s at Radio Tehran and cooperated with some of the greatest 20th century Persian songwriters and lyricists like Ali Tajvidi, Parviz Yahaghi, Homayoun Khorram, Rahim Moeini Kermanshahi and Bijan Taraghi. Marzieh also sang with the Farabi Orchestre, conducted by Morteza Hannaneh, a pioneer of Persian polyphonic music, during the 1960s and 1970s.

Following the “Islamic Revolution” of 1979 public performances and broadcasts of record albums by solo female singers were banned outright for ten years. In 1994 she left Iran making her new home in Paris. She performed several concerts in Los Angeles, California and Royal Albert Hall (London) in 1993, 1994 and 1995. The Paris-based composer Mohammad Shams and the Persian tar soloist Hamid Reza Taherzadeh were the main musicians who worked with Marzieh in exile.

Hossein Nassehi (1925 – 1977) was a composer and trombone player. He studied Trombone at Tehran Conservatory and composition at the Ankara State Conservatory. For many years he was the professor at Tehran Conservatory; Hossein Dehlavi, Ahmad Pejman and Parviz Mansouri were among his pupils.

Nassehi’s son, Fereydoun is a pianist and his daughter, Nasrin, a member of Tehran Symphony choir.

Samin Baghtcheban(1925 –2008) was an musician, composer, author and translator. hE WAS BORN in Tabriz, and grew up in Shiraz and Tehran, where his father established the first modern kindergartens and schools for the deaf in Iran. His father, Jabbar Baghtcheban, was a leading Iranian educator and a pioneer of Persian sign language.

In 1944 Samin Baghtcheban was awarded a scholarship to study music composition in Ankara State Conservatory. He returned to Iran in 1949 and started teaching in Music Conservatory of Tehran. In 1984 he moved to Turkey where he continued his activities and composed several new pieces, some of which were performed by Manouchehr Sahbai in Switzerland.

The artist, Ebrahimi, (1926 – 2013) was a vocalist and a prominent music teacher. He grew up in a family of music lovers and artists. His training in music was under the supervision of Iranian maestros such as Abolhassan Saba, Hossein Tehrani and Gholam Hossein Banan.

Many of Ebrahimi’s performances were presented on Radio Tehran. His most successful period came after 1954 when he joined the Orchestra conducted by Morteza Mahjoubi. He was appointed as the head of the Artistic department from 1963 to 1975 whilst continuing with his own artistic activities. In 1975 he became the head of the National Organisation for Iranian Folklore Music. He remained at this post until 1979 soon after which he retired.

He is considered one of the best teachers of traditional singing.

Houshang Ostovar(1927 – ) is a Persian symphonic music composer and Instructor. He studied basic composition with Parviz Mahmoud and finished his music studies at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels with, he also spend 2 years in Geneva conservatory to learn more about Piano and Clarinet . Came back to Iran 1957, for many years Ostovar was a professor at the Tehran Conservatory of Music. Mostly performed by the Tehran Symphony Orchestra, his works is inspired by Persian folk and classical music in a modern form. He is also known as a developer of different genres of western music such as Jazz in Iran.

A few years after the 1979 Revolution Ostovar moved to France. In 2001 he returned to Tehran and continued his activities as a professor of composition. He has thought many notable musicians like Ali Tajvidi. The only released work of Ostovar is Suite Iranienne (Persian Suite) which was performed in 1980 by Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Ali Rahbari in the LP Symphonische Dichtungen aus Persien (Symphonic Poems from Persia

Mahmoud Karimi (1927 – 1984) was a vocalist and a teacher of Persian classical singing. His teachers were Abdollah Davami and Mohammad Irani Mojorrad. He has taught many of the Iran’s singers including Parisa, Mohammad Baghban and Shahram Nazeri.

Hossein Dehlavi was born in 1927 in Tehran and studied composition at the Tehran Conservatory of Music with Hossein Nassehi. He studied Persian music with Abolhassan Saba and, from 1957 to 1967, was the principal conductor of the Persian Fine Arts Administration Orchestra

For ten years, Dehlavi was the director of and professor at the Persian National Music Conservatory in Tehran, and Ali Rahbari was one of his pupils. In 1992, with the cooperation of nearly 70 players of Persian instruments, Dehlavi established the Plectrum Orchestra. His works include several pieces for Persian instruments and orchestra, voice and orchestra, choir and orchestra, and three operas. As his contribution to the Year of the Child (1979), he wrote an opera for children called Mana and Mani.

Hassan Kassayi (1928 – 2012) was a renowned player of ney, the traditional reed flute of Persia. He is one of the first Iranian musicians to introduce ney to the traditional orchestra.

Mohammad Navayii was his ney teacher. He studied the radif with Taj Esfahani and Adib khansari and when he went to Tehran he was also taught by Abolhasan Saba. He worked with many famous orchestras and in 1956 joined the golha programme. During the 60s he toured Europe and performed on a number of concerts and Radio programmes.

In 1999 Kassayi was honoured by the Ministry of Art and Culture and was nominated for the Iranian cultural Hall of Fame.

Dariush (Daryush) Safvat (1928 – 2013) was an internationally recognised Persian music master and ethnomusicologist. Dr. Safvat was the founder and a former director of the Center for Preservation and Propagation of Iranian Music. The Center counts among its graduates some of the most prolific and admired masters of classical Persian music, including Mohammad Reza Lotfi, Hossein Alizadeh, Hossein Omoumi, Parisa, the late Nasser Farhangfar, Dariush Talai, Majid Kiani and Mahmoud Farahmand.

Dr. Safvat is best known for his mastery of Setar and Santour. He began learning to play the Setar at an early age from his father, Ali Asghar Safvat. He also studied with two other Masters of Persian classical music, Abolhasan Saba and Haj Agha Mohammad Irani.

Evelyn Baghcheban  (1928 –  2010) was an opera singer (mezzo-soprano) and one of the pioneers of opera and choral music in Iran. Baghcheban was born in Mersin, Turkey to a French mother and a Turkish father. She was married to the Iranian composer Samin Baghcheban whom she met when they were both students at the Ankara State Conservatory and moved to Iran.

She was instrumental in establishing Tehran’s opera house, Rudaki Hall, and the Tehran National Choir. She also taught singing at the Tehran Music School, where her pupils included Mohammad Nuri, Pari Zanganeh and Sudabeh Tajbakhsh. She herself was very proud of her work in establishing a choir group for the orphaned children.

Mohammad Baharloo (1929 –  2007) was a violinist, composer and conductor. He was born in Tehran. Baharloo began playing the violin as an adolescent under the directions of Seyed Mohammad Bahrinipur. Baharloo also took lessons from Carl Yan Zubeck who was one an instructor from the Czech Republic. After Yan Zubeck left Iran, Baharloo became a pupil of Rubick Gregorian, a skillful Armenian violinist.

Baharloo also started a research work into the founding techniques of classical Persian music that led to the publication of six volumes of his work fifteen years later. His pupils were Mohsen Molana, Salmak Saghaie and Hamed Ibrahimi.

Lotfollah “Lotfi” Mansouri (1929 -) is an opera director and manager. He began his musical career with a production of cosi fan tutte at Los Angeles City College, and several musical theater productions at Marymount College. From 1960 to 1966, he worked as a stage director at the Zurich Opera. In his first year there, he staged new productions of Amahl and the Night Visitors, La traviata, Don Pasquale, and Samson et Dalila. From 1966 through 1976 he worked as the head stage director at the Geneva Opera.

Fom 1971 to 1988 Mansouri worked as the general director of the Canadian Opera Company in Toronto. Mansouri introduced subtitles for the January 1983 staging of Elektra, and this is generally regarded as the first use of such a translation system. In 1988, Mansouri become the general director of the San Francisco Opera. He commissioned several new works which have received critical acclaim, including John Adams’ The Death of Klinghoffer (1992), Conrad Susa’s The Dangerous Liaisons (Fall 1994), Stewart Wallace’s Harvey Milk (1996) (co-commissioned with Houston Grand Opera and New York City Opera), André Previn’s A Streetcar Named Desire (Fall 1998), and Jake Heggie’s Dead Man Walking (Fall 2000).

He was the General Director of the Canadian Opera Company and of the San Francisco Opera from 1988 through 2001. He introduced opera subtitles — projected subtitles above the stage – that allow the audience to follow the libretto during the performance.

Mohammad Nouri (1929 – 2010) was a folk singer. His tunes were often serious and thought-provoking. Nouri did not like to ranked among pop singers.  He studied the English Language and Literature at the University of Tehran, but continued his professional career in music.

He studied Persian music under Esmaeil Mehrtash and music theory and piano under Sirous Shahrdar and Fereidoun Farzaneh. In his singing style he was considered as a follower of Hossein Aslani and Naser Hosseini. His song Jaan-e Maryam, Gol-e Maryam is well known.

Hormoz Farhat (1929 -), is a composer, ethnomusicologist and lecturer. He studied music at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and Mills College, California, graduating with the degrees of BA in music, MA in composition and PhD in composition and ethnomusicology. His composition teachers included Darius Milhaud, Lukas Foss and Roy Harris. Farhat’s PhD dissertation “The Dastgah Concept in Persian Music” was published in 1990 by Cambridge University Press.

His works include, Mazandarani Rhapsody and Fugue in Dashti. He has also composed a number of film scores, including Gaav (Cow), Postchi, and Aagha-ye Haaloo, all directed by Dariush Mehrjui and Aaraamesh dar hozoor-e digaraan, and Saadegh Kordeh, both directed by Naaser Taghvaaei.

Homayoun Khorram (1930- 2013) was a violinist and composer. He began his music career as a violinist at the age of 10 by participating in master Abolhassan Saba violin and Radif classes. After only four years Khorram entered the State National Radio Orchestra as a violin soloist. He was working as a leading composer by the age of 21.

During his work in the famous radio musical program Golha, Khorram composed many songs for notable singers including Hossein Ghavami (Fakhteh), Marzieh, Hayedeh, Shajarian and made hundreds of instrumental pieces for violin and orchestra.

Farhang Sharif (1931-) a tar player. He studied music under his father. He played his first solo in Radio when he was 12 and has collaborated  with notable musicians like Mohammad-Reza Shajarian, Akbar Golpaigani, Gholam Hossein Banan and Mahmoud Khansari.

Hossein Khaje Amiri – known as Iraj is a singer born near Kashan.

His grandfather was a singer during Nasser al-Din Shah and his first mentor  He studied in the school of Abolhasan Saba. Iraj joined Radio Tehran in 1958 performing with Ebrahim Khan Mansouri’s orchestra.  He became well known during his work on the Golha programme on the radio in the 60s.

He has a unique voice and has contributed more than his fair share in promoting and preserving traditional music in Iran.

Jahangir Malek (1932 – 2002) was a tonbak player. He was one of the more distinguished students of Hossein Tehrani. He became well known during his collaboration on the Golha programe for the radio in the 60s.

Ali Tajvidi was so impressed with his skills that he introduces him to Moshir Homayoun Shahrdar, head of the National Radio Organistion at the time where the young Malek becomes involved with a number of orchestras directed by famous musicians of the time such as Tajvidi himself, Badyi, Majid Vafadar and Parviz Yahaghi.

Habibolah Badyi (1933-1992) was a violinist and composer. He worked with Iranian radio from the early 50s and became well known for his contributions to the golha programme during the 60s. He has written more than 200 songs.

He studied first under Lotfollah Mofakhar and later Abolhasan Saba. He set up his own orchestra in 1954. Badyi was invited by Davood Pirnia to join the golha programme in 1958 where he worked alongside many of the top musicians of the time such as Gholamhossein Banan, Akbar Golpayegani and Mahmood Khansari

He was the head of the music section of Iran Radio from 1967 to 1972. He also led Barbod Orchestra for many years.

Mahmoud Mahmoudi Khansari (1933-1989) was a traditional singer with a style of his own. He was also very familiar with tonbak and setar.

Abolhasan Saba, recognising his talent, took him under his wing. After Saba passed away, he went to Shiraz and collaborated with Radio Shiraz. He later became the director of the traditional music section of the Radio.

From 1970 he worked on a programme led by Asadollah Malek, “navayi az mooseghi melli” (“tunes from the national music”) where he produced some of his most famous recordings. He was one of those artists who considered art as a divine gift never to be tainted with commerce or celebrity.

Farāmarz Pāyvar (1933 – 2009) was a composer and santur player. He studied under Abolhasan Saba and after him under Abdollah Davami and Mousa Maroufi.

Payevar was instrumental in reviving interest in santur in Iranian classical music which was going through a downward trend after the death of Habib Samayi. He also studied English literature in Cambridge and whilst in the UK did a lot to introduce Iranian music to British audiences. BBC archives has a an excellent collection of recordings from his performances. On his return to Iran he became involved with the annual Shriaz Art Festival and produced some of his best works for it.

Reza Vohdani (1933 in Tehran – 2003) was an Iranian musician. Reza learned classical Persian music from masters such as Vaziri, Shahnazi, Saba, Mehrtash and Khaleghi. He himself taught classical Persian music at his private music school, while working for the Iranian Art and culture ministry. Many famous Iranian composers and entertainers were taught by him. In 1997 he published the collection of old Iranian songs known as Radife haft dastgah Agha Hoseingholi.

Akbar Golpayegani (1934 -), commonly known as Golpa, is a celebrated Iranian vocalist who started his career under maestros Noor Ali Boroomand and Adib Khansari. He also studied under Abolhasan Saba, Abdolah Davami and Mohammad Mojarrad Irani. In 1956, he was invited to perform before UNESCO. He is also one of the first Iranian musicians to have doctorate degree in singing (from UCLA).

He is a very popular singer and has collaborated with many of the Iran’s musical greats. His album “Maste Eshgh” (drunk with love) is a beautiful and memorable album which features one of Iran’s master violinist Assadollah Malek, with a piece by Master Ali Tajvidi.

He joined Radio Tehran in 1958 and collaborated with the Golha programme.

Shushā (Shamsi) Guppy (1935 — 2008), was a writer, editor and, under the name of “Shusha”, a singer of Persian and Western folk songs. She had lived in London since the mid-1960s. She studied in Paris where she became interested in singing and in particular folk songs. She also trained as an opera singer. She moved to London in the 60s. Her first British release, in 1971, was an album of traditional Persian music. By now, influenced by the Folk Revival, she was writing and singing some of her own songs, as well as covering the works of many contemporary singer-songwriters. She gave successful concerts in Britain, America and continental Europe, and appeared on television and radio programmes.

She contributed music and voice-over to the 1976 documentary film People of the Wind. The following year the film was nominated for the Best Documentary Feature Oscar and also for a Golden Globe. The film follows the annual migration of the nomadic Bakhtiari tribes in southern Iran. The soundtrack was later released in the USA.

Parviz Yahaghi (1936 – 2007) was a distinguished composer and violinist. His birth name was Parviz Sedighi Parsi. He was musically educated primarily by his uncle Hossein Yahaghi, a violinist and violin teacher, from whom he adopted the name, Yahaghi.

In the 1960s and 1970s he worked for radio where he composed hundreds of pieces both for violin and for celebrated singers in Iran such as Banan, Marzieh, Delkash, Pouran, Elahe, Homeyra, Mahasti, Dariush Rafei, Homayoonpour, and Iraj (Hossein Khajeh Amiri). These compositions were often produced in connection with the long-running radio program Golha.

Yahaghi’s ability in playing violin, his compositions, and his musical approach made him a central figure in Persian music during his lifetime.

Varoujan Hakhbandian, mostly known as Varoujan (1936 – 1977) was an Armenian Iranian songwriter, composer and arranger. He has composed and written songs for Ebi, Googoosh, Dariush, Leila Forouhar, and Farhad Mehrad.

The music for the movie “Bar Faraaze Aasemaanha” (High in the Skies), composed shortly before his death, is one of his famous works. He has also made songs for some films, for example, The Dagger and The Beehive

Rahmatollah Badiyi (1936-) is a violinist and kamanche player. He was a student of Rubik Gregorian. He also studied at the Tehran Music Conservatory and attended Abolhasan Saba classes.

He worked on the radio and was a collaborator on the “golha” programme. He also taught at the music conservatory. He left Iran for Holland in 1978.

Farhad  Fakhreddini (1938-) is a renowned Iranian composer, conductor and founder of  Iran’s National Orchestra (1998). His teachers were, Abolhasan Saba, Ali Tajvidi and Aslanian. Fakhreddini has composed music for Fereydoon  Moshiri’s poetry. In July 2008, a stamp was issued in his honour.

In July 2009, Fakhreddini quit his position with the Iran’s National Orchestra. He has now established a non-governmental orchestra, Mehrnavazan.  The orchestra is scheduled to perform a wide repertoire of Iranian national music.

Ahmad Pejman (1937), also pronounced as Ahmad Pezhman, is a classical composer. Pejman was exposed to the sounds and rhythms of southern Iran from early childhood. In high school he started violin lessons with Heshmat Sanjari and music theory with Hossein Nassehi.

As a young violinist with the Tehran Symphony Orchestra, he was awarded a scholarship to study composition at the Music Academy in Vienna. He studied composition with Thomas Christian David, Alfred Uhl, and Hans Jelineck. Upon graduation from the Academy of Music in Vienna, Pejman returned to Iran in 1969. He continued to compose symphonic works, operas, ballets, and also wrote many scores for motion pictures and television programs.

He entered Columbia University’s Doctorate of Music program in New York in 1976 and continued his studies with Buelant Arel, Vladimir Ushachevsky and Jack Beeson. After the Iranian Revolution in 1979, Pejman moved to Los Angeles and continued to compose and arrange music for jazz and pop ensembles, and motion pictures Threat, 1985.

In 1992, Pejman was commissioned to write a cantata for choir and orchestra for the liberation of Khorramshahr, Beh Yade Khorramshahr, 1992. He was then commissioned to write music for a musical theater to be performed at Vahdat Hall (previously called Rudaki), Mokhtar, 1993. Since 1993 Pejman has been writing film music and composing for the orchestra and choir and released various soundtracks and CDs.