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08:00 PM » Shajarian & Ava Ensemble

MOHAMMAD REZA SHAJARIAN

and Ava Ensemble

"Shajarian is a superstar, the Pavarotti of Persian classical music." - Globe and Mail

Singer MOHAMMAD REZA SHAJARIAN is a living legend and one of the most recognizable voices in Iran - sweet, soulful and dynamic, and he is the undisputed master of Persian classical song. He last appeared in Toronto at a sold-out show at Roy Thomson Hall in March of 2006 as part of the Masters of Persian Music show. Born in 1940 in the city of Mashhad, Shajarian started singing at the age of five under the supervision of his father. At the age of twelve he began studying the traditional classical repertoire (radif) with the great masters of the tradition, including Ahmad Ebadi, Esmaeel Mehrtash and Abdollah Davami, from whom he learnt the most ancient tasnifs (songs). He began singing professionally in 1959 at Radio Khorasan and has been a staple of Iranian radio, television and recordings ever since, leading the Persian classical music renaissance that took hold after the 1979 revolution. In 1999 UNESCO presented him with the prestigious Picasso Medal in France and in 2000, the Ministry of Culture in Iran declared him "Best Classical Vocalist." A series of US re-issues of Shajarian's classic Iranian recordings will launch this year with the release of "Bidad" on World Village/Harmonia Mundi USA.

HOMAYOUN SHAJARIAN, born in 1975, is the son of Mohammad Reza Shajarian. He began playing tombak (goblet drum) at the age of five and later attended the Tehran Conservatory of Music. As well as tombak, Homayoun plays the kamancheh and studies the Persian vocal tradition with his father. Since 1991 he has played in many ensembles with his father in concerts in Europe, Iran, and North America. His 2001 tour with the Masters of Persian Music Ensemble marked his debut as a vocalist. Homayoun has developed many similar vocal qualities of his father/mentor, and represents a new generation in the great Persian vocal tradition.

The AVA ENSEMBLE was recently created to support Shajarian's tour. The group consists of Persian music's most accomplished players. They are: Homayoun Shajarian, tombak player/vocalist; Majid Derakshani, composer/tar player; Hossein Rezaeenia, daf player; Saeed Farajpouri, composer/kamanche player; and Hossein Behroozinia, composer/barbat player.
Persian classical music has a venerable past, rooted in Iran's unique history and culture. Sitting astride the old Silk Road, Iran has been one of history's most prominent actors from antiquity right down to today's headlines. Iran has been the seat of an empire and has been a land subject to many invaders, from Alexander the Great to Genghis Khan; and today, the country is a centre of religious learning and is a great, cosmopolitan trading hub that has maintained a distinct cultural identity for millennia. All of this has left an indelible stamp on Persian classical music. Originally the music of the medieval royal courts, Persian classical music is deeply spiritual, and linked to Islam's mystical Sufi tradition through devotional poetry. This hypnotic modal music is stately and reflective, a vehicle for meditation and contemplation that still allows room for remarkable flights of solo spontaneity. Traditionally, the music is performed by a vocalist and accompanist, with an emphasis on vocal ornamentation and improvisation.

Friday June 6th, 8pm
Roy Thomson Hall
60 Simcoe St.

Tickets: $69.50 - $49.50
416-872-4255

The Roy Thomson Hall Box Office:
www.roythomson.com