12th Bita Prize for Persian Arts: Kayhan Kalhor

Speaker(s)
Kayhan Kalhor
Date
Wed November 20th 2019, 6:30 - 8:00pm
Event Sponsor
Hamid and Christina Moghadam Program in Iranian Studies
Location
CEMEX Auditorium
12th Bita Prize for Persian Arts: Kayhan Kalhor

The 12th recipient of the annual Bita Prize for Persian Arts is the acclaimed musician Kayhan Kalhor

 

We are pleased to announce that Kayhan Kalhor will perform during the last 20 minutes of the event. We will also be giving out signed copies of his most recent album, while supplies last. Important notes:

  • Please allow extra time for parking and to make your way to the venue. Doors open at 6:00 PM, seating is first come first serve so we recommend arriving early. Please click on "map" for more detailed directions. 
  • Event is free and open to the public, no RSVP or ticket required.
  • Cemex auditorium tends to chilly and we are not able to control the climate. We recommend bringing something warm to wear.

Kayhan Kalhor began his musical studies at the age of seven and was considered a child prodigy on the kamancheh (spiked fiddle). As a young musician in Iran, he worked in the Iranian National Radio and Television Orchestra and with the Shayda Ensemble of the Chavosh Cultural Center. In 1978, Kayhan went to Rome to study Western classical music and continued his studies at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, where he received a degree in music. 

Kayhan is an internationally acclaimed virtuoso on the kamancheh, who, through his many musical collaborations, has been instrumental in popularizing Persian music in the West and is a creative force in today’s music scene.  In his efforts at popularizing and advancing Persian traditional music, Kayhan has already left an indelible mark in the musical and cultural spheres worldwide.  He also has the unique ability to not only uphold the tradition of Persian classical music but at the same time to engage in dialogue with artists and audiences.

He has composed works for Iran's most renowned vocalists, including Mohammad Reza Shajarian and Shahram Nazeri and has performed and recorded with many of Iran's greatest artists. Kayhan is an original member of Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble with whom he continues to compose for and tour with.

He has performed at many of the world’s most renowned theaters; has composed extensively for television and film and has released over twenty albums.  In addition to receiving a Grammy for his last album with the Silk Road Ensemble, Sing Me Home, in 2017, four of his other albums have been nominated for Grammys.  His most recent album is It’s Still Autumn (released in 2019).

*photo credit: Azadeh Besharaty

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