12th Bita Prize for Persian Arts Awarded to Kayhan Kalhor

The 12th Bita Prize for Persian Arts was awarded to the acclaimed musician Kayhan Kalhor. The award ceremony took place at Stanford University on November 20, 2019.

The ceremony included remarks by Abbas Milani, Provost Persis Drell, Bahram Beyzaie, and Bita Daryabari. Kayhan Kalhor performed during the last half of the ceremony. 

View a photo album from the evening here. Full video is coming soon. 

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. Read more here.