Hafez Nazeri
is Iran’s most influential and admired new composer.
The son of legendary musician Shahram Nazeri, Hafez
began voice lessons at the age of three, and went on
to place first in many voice competitions. At seven,
he began focusing his studies on tanbour and setar
which he had been playing since he was three. He then
became intrigued by the daf, a percussion instrument
he taught himself to play. In the process, he created
a unique technique that is now emulated by many of
Iran’s young daf players.
By the age of nine, Hafez had already begun to perform
alongside his father in many prestigious music
festivals in Europe and the Middle East. Hafez is
considered to have extended the technique of
setar-playing and has received praise from musicians
and craftsmen alike. At the age of sixteen he
performed, among others, at the Sfinks Festival in
Belgium, the Festa del Popolo in Italy, the Théâtre de
la Ville in Paris and the Beiteddine Festival in
Lebanon and many, many more.
In 2000, Hafez assembled a talented group of young
performers to form the Rumi Ensemble. Together they
performed Hafez’s original compositions in a series of
landmark concerts in twenty Iranian cities.
These musical innovations not only reached younger
audiences, they also had an impact on the musical
scene in Iran and beyond. With 140,000 in attendance,
The Rumi Ensemble’s concerts in Tehran, set a record
for the entire Middle East,
Selected pieces from this tour have been performed by
the Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra in London’s Royal
Albert Hall, and at music festivals including the
Sodra Teatern in Stockholm, the De Bijloke in Ghent,
Belgium, as well as at the Fez Festival in Morocco,
and the Théâtre de la Ville in Paris.
At the age of 20, in a search for new artistic ground,
Hafez came to New York to study western classical
music. In 2005, he received a Diploma in Composition
and Conducting from the Mannes College of Music.
Later in the year, Hafez, along with new members of
his Rumi Ensemble launched “In the Path of Rumi," a
highly successful North American tour which performed
record-breaking sold-out concerts, to rave reviews.
The venues, included Los Angeles’ Kodak theater
(12/11/05), - the most highly attended Persian
classical music concert outside of Iran –
The Atlanta Symphony Hall and traveled to San
Francisco, Washington D.C., and Boston.
Hafez’s international appeal led to several
invitations to speak at various media outlets,
including radio stations such as KPBS, KPFK, KPFA, UC
Berkeley Radio and NPR in the United States.
Broadcast interviews include a 9-minute on CNN’s Live
From with Kyra Phillips (3/29/06), BBC World Service’s
program, The Ticket with Mark Coles (4/26/06), a live
appearance on the Fox Channel (3/10/06), and an
exclusive on ABC NEWS, following a recent New York
performance.
Hafez is also the recipient of a UCLA creativity award
for most distinguished young composer. The Irvine City
Hall Award of Distinction in Kurdish music was given
to Hafez Nazeri for his contributions in spreading
Rumi’s spiritual message of peace through the language
of music. The United Nations Association also
recognized Hafez’s contributions and his innovation in
undertaking the “In the Path of Rumi” tour.
February 25, 2006 was named “HAFEZ NAZERI DAY” in San
Diego County by the Mayor and the Chairman of San
Diego’s Board of Supervisors.
Soon after, he received a recognition award from The
Congress of the United States and was invited to
lecture at Emory University,
and Harvard University, where he was recognized for
his pioneering efforts and innovation in Persian
music.
In 2007, The Rumi Symphony Project, which is Hafez’s
most passionate and ambitious undertaking to date,
will culminate in a major work to celebrate the 800th
anniversary of Rumi’s birth.
Eternal Return
Kodak Theater-Dec.2005
Rumi Ensemble
Saad-Abad Palace-September 2000
In The Path of Rumi
Kodak Theater-Dec.2005
