Kayhan Kalhor (Persian: كيهان كلهر‎ ) is an Iranian kamancheh player and setar player of Kurdish descent. In 2004, two of his works were nominated for Grammy Awards. Kalhor consciously pins Persian classical music structures to the rich folk modes and melodies of Northern Khorasan, the cultural heart of historic Persia and a bridge to Central Asia. Kayhan Kalhor's music speaks from an ancient Persian tradition while sounding timeless and spiritually invigorating today.

Early life and influences

Kalhor was born in Tehran (1963). At seven years of age, he began studying music under Ahmad Mohajer. By thirteen years of age, Kalhor was playing in the National Orchestra of Radio and Television of Iran. Kalhor later worked in the Shayda Ensemble of the Chavosh Cultural Center in Iran, and with the Silk Road Project Ensemble, where his music has been arranged by Stephen Prutsman and Lev Zhurbin.

While traveling throughout Iran, Kalhor studied radif in addition to the different types of music in northeastern and western Iran under various musical teachers. He later and moved to Rome and Ottawa to study Western classical music.

Recognition and musical style

Kalhor has composed many works for famous Iranian vocalists such as Mohammad Reza Shajarian (ref. Masters of Persian Music) and Shahram Nazeri. He has also performed with musicians such as Shujaat Husain Khan, Indian sitar player, forming a ghazal group,and holding worldwide concerts. Kalhor also represented Iran in the 2001 Chicago World Music Festival.

Because of his wide range of musical influences, Kalhor's style is sometimes considered radical in that it combines multiple elements from many different musical styles. He uses different musical instruments and crosses many cultural borders with his work.

Works

Scattering Stars Like Dust, 1998
Night Silence Desert, 2000
In the Mirror of the Sky, 2004
The Wind, 2006
Ghazal: Lost Songs of the Silk Road, 1997
Ghazal: As Night Falls on the Silk Road, 1998
Ghazal: Moon Rise over the Silk Road, 2000
Ghazal: The Rain, 2003

Special thanks to: wikipedia.org