Immerse yourself in the unique sound of traditional Iranian instruments, performed by Pedram Khavar Zamini (Tombak), Sadaf Amini (Santur), Mehdi Rostami (Setar); playing eastern modes, melodies and rhythms.
Pedram Khavarzamini, one of the world’s foremost Iranian Tombak players, lived in France for a few years, then moved to Canada in 2014. He started to learn playing the Tombak - the main percussion instrument in classical Persian music - alongside masters Kamyar Mohabbat and Bahman Rajabi. Pedram founded his own Percussion-Tombak group, Varshan, and released his album Kootah, his compositions for a group of Tombaks. His thrilling technique in playing Tombak coupled with his musical influences (Persian, Indian, Turkish, Jazz, and more) have given him the privilege of being a very unique Tombak player. His extremely developed sense of improvisation and his ability of adaptation give a unique color to each of his concerts. In 2001 Pedram moved to Greece/ Kriti (Houdetsy) to join Ross Daly and the Labyrinth Music Workshop. Since then, he has collaborated with Ross Daly and played together in many concerts. From 2004 onwards, Pedram has taught masterclasses and workshops at Labyrinth.
Sadaf Amini is a recognized Santur virtuoso and mesmerizing performer who expresses her feelings through her performances and own compositions. She started learning the Santur when she was 12 and pursued her music education at Tehran Music school and University, followed by a master's degree in Music Technology at the University of Toronto. She has collaborated with various ensembles at multiple concerts in Iran, Turkey, China, and Canada, leading to multiple recordings. Her last recording is a solo Santur album "Flow", composed, performed, and produced by herself. She is a 2019 winner of the YGK Emerging Musician Competition at the Isabel.
Mehdi Rostami was born in Kermanshah, Iran. At the age of six he began to learn to play the Setar with Siavash Nourpour. He studied the advanced repertory of Persian classical music with maestros Mohammadreza Lotfi and Hossein Alizadeh and took masterclasses with Kayhan Kalhor. Today, Mehdi is an accomplished musician and Setar player. His performance shows a profound grasp of the tradition, while as an improviser he freely experiments and transcends the limits of the purely classical. He uses the instrument’s full register and expressive possibilities, creating a fresh and elaborate atmosphere.