Shaahin Mohajeri Wins UnTwelve Composition Competition

UnTwelve Non-profit Organization announced the results of its 2014/2015 composition competition on January 28, 2015. Shaahin Mohajeri, an Iranian Tonbak player, microtonalist, acoustician and composer, was awarded the second prize for his piece “Castle of Babak.”

Shaahin Mohajeri is of the belief that 96-EDO (96 equal divisions of octave) is a good system for intervallic structure of Persian music with more accurate estimation than Ali naqi Vaziri’s 24-EDO system. He is currently working on a microtonal notation system based on 96-EDO and also on a model for tuning systems classification based on divisions of octavic or non-octavic musical scales and systems.
Mohajeri is engaged with a new rhythmic system called “Microrhythm” which is based on time intervals which are defined in rhythmic systems.
Some of his tuning models and scales are being referred in Scala, powerful software for experimentation with musical tunings. Mohajeri’s pieces are composed in different modal, tonal and atonal microtonal spaces and show poly-microtonality as a way to relate different microtonal systems to each other.
He began studying tonbak under supervision of Nasser Farhangfar, master of tonbak, but his studies of tonbak sounding and fingering, tonbak musical analysis and his arrhythmic musical ideas have led him to a different world of music, tonbak and tonbak playing.
He composes music for tonbak solo and ensemble with different microtonal tunings, ranging from traditional to his personal style.
He is working on a new musical notation system for tonbak based on acoustical parameters and a system of fingering classification for this drum.
In 23 October 2006, Shaahin Mohajeri lectured on tonbak history, organology, acoustics and tunable tonbak of Dr. Hossein Omoumi in the Tehran Conservatory of Music.

Prizes and Nominations
2012
– The 3rd prize, UnTwelve 3nd Annual Microtonal Composition, for Three Micromusics for an Ant
– The 2nd prize, Second Festival of Music-based Websites and Weblogs for “Scales Coding” (article)

2011
– Finalist, UnTwelve 2nd Annual Microtonal Composition Competitions for the Battle of Ahuramazda and Ahriman
– Appreciation, First Festival of Music-based Websites and Weblogs for “Time Intervals” (article)

2010
– Winner, AEH and Muto Ethno2 Microtonal Demos Competition

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Nasser Masoudi: The Voice of Gilan and a Legacy of Iranian Music

In Iranian music, certain singers have become emblematic of their homelands through their distinctive voices. Historical figures such as Eghbal Sultan, who epitomized the grandeur of Azerbaijani music, and Taj Isfahani, who conveyed the authentic essence of Isfahan, serve as notable examples from the Qajar era. Nasser Masoudi occupies a similar position; his voice emerged as a symbol of Gilan while also achieving national acclaim. Before him, Master Ahmad Ashurpur represented Gilan’s musical landscape, but his extended residence outside Iran limited his continuous engagement in the music scene. In contrast, Masoudi’s consistent presence allowed him to introduce the voice of Gilan to audiences across Iran.

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From Past Days…

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Davoud Pirnia (1900 - 1971)

About Davoud Pirnia, the founder of “Golha” radio program

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Concertino for Violin and Orchestra entitled Nohe Khan was composed by Ali (Alexander) Rahbari while he was studying music in Vienna in 1972. This piece was composed having in mind the Ashoura events and inspired by the music which is used during the Ashoura ceremonies. The piece was first performed and recorded by Bijan Khadem…
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With regard to each polyphonic form, only one specific and distinguished example is analyzed. These polyphonic forms are as follows:

Principles of Violin Playing (IX)

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The text you are reading is about Hamed Fathi, a guitarist and one of Lilly Afshar’s students, which was previously published on the Persian website HarmonyTalk.com:

New Technique for Playing Classical Guitar (I)

Joint application of the two techniques of “Lip” and “Nose” could be effectively applied for hearing and playing far-away intervals, by the Classical Guitar. Before this, a Classical Guitar player had to waive playing intervals not possible with the left hand, and had to replace or eliminate some notes, making it possible to play such intervals; specifically the capability of the left hand of the musician, was also a factor in such a selection. These methods are hereby illustrated by photographs and a video-file, in order to provide optimum comprehension of applying these methods, invented by the author; specifically the “Lip” technique, which is considered to be a more significant technique, emphasized by the author.

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Quality Decline in Regional Music Festivals

Regional music festivals are organized to, firstly, introduce the music of different regions and, secondly, to support its performers. Regional music festivals are held in large cities for various reasons, including the availability of financial and executive facilities and the presence of an audience. However, the organization of these festivals has always been one of the challenging issues of ethnomusicology. The reason is that the presence of regional music performers in large cities places them in a context other than the context they would normally perform in their homes; consequently this change in situation leads to changes in the quality of their performance.

Prominent Iranian Musicologist Passes Away in Vienna

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