Iranian Music Workshops with Ali Akbar Moradi

Date
Mon February 23rd 2026, 2:00pm - Thu February 26th 2026, 2:00pm
Event Sponsor
Hamid and Christina Moghadam Program in Iranian Studies
Event is open to
Students
Postdocs
Faculty
Affiliates
General Public
Experience Type
In-Person

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Ali Akbar Moradi

Tanbūr and Iran’s Sonic Heritage: The Yarsan Ritual Tradition, Myth, and Spirituality

February 23, 24, 25, and 26

Acclaimed Iranian musician Ali Akbar Moradi will teach four music workshops in Persian, sponsored by the Iranian Studies Program and the Department of Music. Please RSVP to attend. Space is limited, priority is given to Stanford affiliates. An instrument is not required to attend and learn but you may bring your tanbūr if you have one. Guests will receive a confirmation email if they are added to the workshop or have been added to the waitlist. Please only RSVP if you are sure you can attend. 

Ali Akbar Moradi began playing the tanbūr at the age of seven and learned not only the music but the Kurdish maqam repertoire. He has won awards, recorded several albums, and performed in Europe, the United States, and Canada with singers like Shahram Nazeri and at the Royal Festival Hall in London. In addition to teaching the tanbūr in Tehran and his hometown of Kermanshah, Ali Akbar is a dedicated scholar of the tanbūr and continues to develop the legacy of the instrument and the regional Kurdish music.

Session One: Monday, February 23, 2:00-4:00

A general introduction to the tanbūr, including:

  • Its historical development, the etymology and meaning of the term tanbūr.
  • Major categories of tanbūr maqāms; the tanbūr’s presence in Iran and in broader global contexts.
  • The instrument’s range and the number of frets, the principal structural components of the instrument.
  • Plectra (mezrāb) and core performance techniques. The session concludes with instruction in one maqām.

Session Two: Tuesday, February 24, 12:00-2:00

The tanbūr in relation to Yārsān religious tradition including:

  • Ritual narratives and accounts associated with specific tanbūr maqāms
  • Rhythmic organization and ancient cyclical patterns (adwār) within the tanbūr maqām repertoire.
  • The session concludes with instruction in one maqām.

Session Three: Wednesday, February 25, 2:00-4:00

  • The tanbūr and the Shāhnāmeh, with attention to maqāms associated with the epic tradition.
  • The session concludes with instruction in one maqām.

Session Four: Thursday, February 26, 12:00-2:00

  • A brief overview of Iran’s classical radīf tradition, with comparative attention to affinities between selected tanbūr maqāms and particular gūsheh-s in the radīf repertoire.

Part of the Stanford Festival of Iranian Arts

Stanford is committed to ensuring its facilities, programs and services are accessible to everyone. To request access information and/or accommodations for this event, please complete https://tinyurl.com/AccessStanford at the latest one week before the event.

Event Link