Majid Derakhshani & the Andalib Women's Ensemble

Date: Sun, Jun 16, 2019 06:30PM
Price: Only rush tickets available in-person 30 minutes before the show.

Join us for a powerful presentation of Sufi whirling and Kurdish and Persian classical music, featuring maestro Majid Derakhshani — one of Iran’s leading composers and master tar players. Presented by Rumi Canada and Andalib Music Academy, this concert pays tribute to the female artists and vocalists of Iran.

The show’s first half explores improvisational music with Majid Derakhshani on the tar, Naghmeh Farahmand on percussion, and Aga Khan Music Award finalist Shaho Andalibi on the ney.

The second half features the Andalib Music Academy’s Baanovan Ensemble, an all-female instrumental group, performing Kurdish and Persian music. The presentation will be accompanied by Sufi whirling dancer Farzad Attar Jafari from Rumi Canada.

This performance is part of our 2018/19 Performing Arts season, The Other Side of Fear, featuring acclaimed artists who have transcended fear through music, dance, and spoken word.

Headline Artists
Majid Derakhshani: Tar & Composer
Shaho Andalibi: Ney, Kurdish vocals, and band lead
Sara Hamidi:  Persian classical vocals

Andalib Baanovan Ensemble
Nazli Tahvildari: Santour
Sanaz Nakhjavani: Qanon
Sodabeh Badiei: Geychak
Ava Ayoubi: Narges (Bass Tar)
Naghmeh Farahmand: Percussion

Rumi Canada
Farzad Attar Jafari: Sufi whirling dancer

Bios:

Shaho Andalibi comes from a legacy of classical Persian musicians. He studied and performed Persian classical singing, the ney, duf, and maqam music under great musicians, including his father and grandfather. He received his Master’s in Iranian Musical Instruments from the Art University of Tehran, and has performed extensively across the globe with renowned ensembles. He is a teacher and director at Andalibi Music Academy.

Majid Derakhshani is considered one of the best tar players in Iran, and perhaps the world. He has earned the venerable title, Ostad, or maestro, for his mastery of his instrument. Derakhshani has also composed for a myriad of international musicians and has worked on over 25 albums, enthralling audiences across many countries. Hailing from a family of notable artists in Iran, he studied string instruments and composition at the University of Tehran. He is the founder of the Nawa Musikzentrum of Cologne, Germany.

Sara Hamidi is a Persian classical vocalist from Iran. She studied opera at the Conservatoire de Saint-Maur in Paris, and the Persian Radif with M.R. Shajarian, an acclaimed vocal professor. She has performed in many concerts with Iranian ensembles in Europe and further afield.

Naghmeh Farahmand is a Persian percussionist and teacher from a notable musical family. With a deep understanding of what it is to be an accompanist, and having mastered the santoor and daf, she is now moving into world music, including Turkish, Indian, Arabian, and Bulgarian, as well as the jazz genre.

Nazli Tahvildari has been playing santoor since the age of 12, learning from famous Iranian musicians. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Persian Music from Tehran University, from which she graduated with distinction. She is a respected instructor and teaches santoor and Radif at Tehran University, Sooreh University, and Girls Conservatory of Music, among other institutions.

Sanaz Nakhjavani has been performing qanun since 1998. She has contributed to various albums and she performs with Spiral Modes, Andalibi Ensemble, and Blue Dot Band in Canada. She is a graduate of the Tehran Conservatory of Music, specializing in piano and qanun. She holds a Master’s in Turkish Music from Istanbul’s Turkish Conservatory of Music, and is completing a Ph.D. in Ethnomusicology.

Soudabeh Badiei has been classically trained in piano, violin, and geychek by well-known musicians in Isfahan, Iran. She has performed with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Khojasteh Band, and Hasankhani Band. She was also a member of Iran’s Ministry of Culture’s official band.

Ava Ayoubi specialized in piano and tar at the School of Art and Architecture in Tehran. She has been an active collaborator of the Tehran Philharmonic Music Orchestra and has performed internationally with celebrated Iranian orchestras such as Simorgh, Pardis, Mezrab, Navak, and Barfkhani. She established the Termeh Music Institute in Lavasan, Iran, and she teaches tar, setar, and oud.

Farzad Attar Jafari studied classical Sufism under the direction of several masters. He has trained as a Semazen (whirling dervish), studied a range of Sufi dances, music, and poetry, and has performed across the US and Canada. He lives in Toronto, where he serves the Sufi whirling dervishes community and hosts regular sessions.

Andalib Music Academy offers music lessons in all classical instruments, with a focus on traditional Persian instruments and vocals. Professionally experienced teachers work with students of different age and experience, training them for performance and guiding them through a journey of music from the historical to the present day.

Rumi Canada is known for its strong adherence to the spiritual Sufi tradition, as well as for exploring new movement vocabulary that reaches deep into the soul of those present. Past performances include those at Small World Music Festival, Tirgan Festival, and Nuit Blanche.