Join us on Friday, November 8, 2024 at 7:30 PM at Community School of Music & Art in Mountain View for an evening of Persian classical music where diverse melodies and rhythms seamlessly fuse into a perfect whole, illuminating the collective pulse and its power to bring peace to all. Namâd Ensemble and Mahbobe Golzari will perform traditional and modern melodies, setting us afloat on an inner journey of passion and tranquility.

Friday, November 8, 2024, Doors 7:00 PM, Show 7:30 PM
Community School of Music and Arts
230 San Antonio Cir, Mountain View, CA 94040

Mahbobe Golzari: Vocal
Pejman Hadadi: Percussion
Saeed Kamjoo: Kamancheh
Kourosh Taghavi: Setar

Mahbobe Golzari

Mahbobeh Golzari is a distinguished Persian classical vocalist with over 30 years of experience in traditional Iranian music. She has performed internationally, collaborating with master musicians with notable concerts in Vancouver, Berlin, and Melbourne, bringing the rich heritage of Persian music to diverse audiences. Her distinctive voice and interpretations have garnered acclaim, reflecting the depth of Persian musical tradition.

Throughout her musical journey, Mahbobeh has had the privilege of studying under the supervision of renowned Iranian music masters such as Parisa, Mohammad-Reza Shajarian, Hossein Alizadeh, Mohammad-Reza Lotfi, and Mohesen Keramati, enriching her artistry through their influential guidance. She has expanded her musical foundation studying music theory with Amir Eslami and Siamak Jahangiri.

Her talents extend to film, where she contributed as a vocalist to the soundtrack of Turtles Can Fly, composed by Ostad Hossein Alizadeh and directed by Bahman Ghobadi. In addition to her vocal artistry, Mahbobeh plays the Setar and has dedicated the past decade to teaching music. With three albums to her name, she continues to passionately promote traditional Iranian music. She is currently preparing for upcoming concerts in the United States and Canada, where she will share her unique interpretations and deep understanding of Persian musical heritage.

Pejman Hadadi

Born in Tehran, Iran, Pejman Hadadi is a world-renowned percussionist acclaimed for his innovative contributions to Persian music. Pejman has studied with master musicians Assadollah Hejazi and Bahman Rajabi, building a strong foundation in traditional rhythms.

After immigrating to the U.S., Hadadi collaborated with notable ensembles like Oshagh, Nava, Dastan, Hamavayan, NuAeen, and ZARBANG. His career has led him to perform with renowned master musicians such as Hossein Alizadeh, Shahram Nazeri, Ali Akbar Moradi, Keyhan Kalhor, Homayoun Shajarian, Sima Bina, Parisa, and Mojgan Shajarian. These collaborations have enriched his artistry and broadened his influence in the world of Persian music. He has performed in prestigious venues worldwide, including Carnegie Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Disney Hall, and at major festivals such as the San Francisco World Festival and the Silk Road Festival.

A masterful innovator, Hadadi created custom-made tunable frame drums known as Pezhvak (Davaayer-e Kooki), enhancing traditional Persian music with new sonic dimensions.

Hadadi has recorded numerous acclaimed albums and film scores, including Monad, Torbat, and Prince of Persia. He has received the Durfee Foundation Master Musician Award twice and is a faculty member at UCLA’s Department of Ethnomusicology, where he continues to educate and inspire in the field of rhythm and percussion.

Saeed Kamjoo

Saeed Kamjoo is a distinguished Kamanche player and composer based in Montreal, Canada. He studied Classical Persian music under renowned masters such as Ustad Asghar Bahari, Ali Akbar Shekarchi, and Hatam Asgari, gaining extensive expertise in both instrumental and vocal repertoires of Classical Persian music. This foundation has enabled him to create compositions that are both deeply rooted in tradition and innovatively forward-thinking.

Kamjoo has composed numerous works for Kamanche, Persian ensembles, and Western string quartets. His notable albums include Remembrance, Invisible, No Dask No Dawn, Taloon, Ossyan, Regard Persan, and Ay Amor, among others.

Saeed’s extensive performance career has taken him to stages internationally, where he has performed both as a soloist and as part of various ensembles. He is a founding member of the Namâd ensemble and has collaborated with prominent ensembles and acclaimed artists, including frequent collaborations with Parisa, the grande dame of classical Persian music.

Kamjoo’s unique artistic approach and contributions continue to resonate globally, bridging traditional Persian sounds with contemporary global music.

Kourosh Taghavi

Kourosh Taghavi is an Iranian Setar player, composer, and music teacher based in San Diego, California. He has studied under the tutelage of renowned master musicians Mohammad Reza Lotfi and Hossein Alizadeh.

Kourosh has been teaching the Setar throughout California, lecturing, composing original music for plays, creating compositions based on contemporary Iranian poetry, holding music workshops, and recording original compositions. His album recordings include Epiphany, Ossyan, and Ode to Love.

His ongoing collaboration with the Center for World Music as a teaching artist in residence brings Persian Classical music to schools across San Diego, where Kourosh’s curricula provide children with high-quality hands-on instruction in Persian classical music and singing.

Kourosh is a founding member of the Namâd ensemble with which he has toured in the US and internationally. His collaborations with renowned master artists such as Hossein Omoumi, Robert Bly, and Coleman Barks, as well as prestigious cultural organizations like the San Diego Museum of Art, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Konya Mystic Music Festival, Carlsbad, and Del Mar Music Festivals, to fulfill his passionate quest for introducing and promoting Persian classical music and raising awareness of the importance of the arts in people’s lives.

Purchase tickets and check out the Facebook event page below!