DESCRIPTION:
Premier concert des VOISINS / The NEIGHBORS First Act

AMIR AMIRI
Persans & Ottomans

Date: Monday March 17 / Lundi 17 Mars 2014
Persian Music and Ottoman Food
Lieu / Location : Restaurant Sefa 5136 Avenue du Parc, Montréal



This work is based on 2 modes that are shared in Persian and Ottoman music. Mahoor and Homayoun (Major & Minor) work is set for solo santur (Persian hammered dulcimer).

Amir Amiri plays the SANTUR, a 72-string hammer dulcimer that lies at the heart of Persian classical music. Amiri has worked with Bob Becker, Edgar Meyer and David Takeno as well as Jazz greats Hugh Fraser, Darcy Phillip Gray, Mike Murley and John Stetch. Amiri has worked extensively as a percussionist, composer, musical director and consultant for numerous Canadian dance and theatre companies.

Amir was born in Tehran, Iran, where he studied the santur, a 72 string hammer dulcimer. He specialized in the radiff system of Persian classical music . His principle teachers included Meheran Ghalaee, Majeed Kyanee, and Parviz Meshkatiyan. He also studied Indian classical music (Regas) with teachers Ravi Shankar and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. Since arriving in Canada six years ago, Amir has received numerous scholarships from the Banff Centre for the Arts, and has welcomed the opportunity to work with western classical musicians from around the world. His focus has been to fuse the depth of eastern music with the broader harmonic palette of western music. He has participated in master classes with Bob Becker, Edgar Meyer and David Takeno, and has also collaborated with Hugh Fraser, Darcy Phillip Gray, Mike Murly, John Stetch and Bill Cahn. Amir has worked as a percussionist/ composer for the theatre production of The Odyssey (Banff Centre Theatre Arts Program and Manitoba Theatre for Young People), VIA Dance Ensemble, Lu Lu Dance Productions, Sedonya Fusion Ensemble, and Lambda Fusion Ensemble. As a dance accompanist, he has worked with Decidedly Jazz Danceworks, Alberta Ballet School of Dance, McDonald Wilson Dance Academy and the University of Calgary Dance Program. Amir self – produced a successful concert in Calgary with his ensemble Dohnavathis February. He has also been awarded the 2003 Artist of the Year from CBC Galaxie Rising Stars Program.