An Exploration of Music from Iran
Vashaan Music
Vashaan Society Presents
About
Gathering together some of the finest classically trained Persian musicians in Canada, the Vashaan Ensemble draws upon Iran’s rich musical past to perform joyful and memorable Persian Traditional songs. The Vashaan ensemble was formed in 2011 as a project to explore and present forms of Iranian music that have rarely been heard in North America. Their first collaboration, "Shadmaneh" brought lost melodies and unknown musical styles of Southeastern Iran to a wide range of listeners in an effort to demonstrate how rich and cheerful Iranian traditional music can be.
The ensemble has since formed into a professional yet, close-knit group of musicians that continue to explore the broad range of Traditional Persian Music styles and perform for a wide range of North American audiences.
The Vashaan Ensemble
Ali Razmi
Tar / Setar
Ali Razmi is a gifted Tar and Setar player and composer who acquired his MA degree in music from The Art University of Tehran in 2006. He has performed throughout Iran, Azerbaijan, India, turkey, Canada and the US. Ali's music is used in the Sufi documentary by Amar Shebib in 2012 and he has collaborated with the Musica Intima choir which was distinguished as the best local choir in Vancouver in 2011 and 2012 by the great Canadian composer, Ed Henderson. Ali has been a roster member of Vancouver intercultural orchestra (VICO) since 2008. He has been involved in several workshops and compositions with VICO to promote Persian music among Western and Eastern musicians.
Ali Sajjadi
Oud
Ali Sajjadi studied Setar and Radif with Masoud Shaari and continued his training on the Oud with masters, Hossein Behroozinia and Arsalan Kamkar.
Ali has had a very successful career in both Iran and Canada. He has played with the Hamsaz Ensemble directed by Masoud Shaari, the Khorshid Ensemble, the Mezrab Ensemble, and the Iranian national art institute Symphony Orchestra.
Fathieh Honari
Vocalist
Fathieh Honari is one of Canada’s premier female Persian vocalists and probably the only North American singer of the extremely rare Balochi folk repertoire. Born in Iran, Fathieh began singing before audiences during her early childhood. After immigrating to Canada, she continued her studies of the Radif (the Persian classical music modal system) and performed with the Vashaan Ensemble and many other musicians. She has a profound understanding of Persian classical poetry, which gives her the ability to express the essence of Persian aesthetics and beauty. Many of her Canadian recordings such as Vasheen and Shadmaneh have been widely celebrated in her Native Baluchistan, despite the government ban on female vocalists and recordings.
Hamin Honari
Percussion
Hamin Honari  is a Iranian-Canadian hand drummer who has specialized on the Iranian hand drum, Tombak.  He has focused on adapting his drumming style and technique to accommodate many different genres of music. He has toured as a member of the Dastan Ensemble, one of Iran's most well-known Persian classical music ensembles and has performed with many amazing musicians and singers such as Salar Aghili, Parissa, Hossein Omoumi, Hossein Behroozinia, Saeed Farajpouri, and Itamar Erez.  Hamin lives in Vancouver, BC where he is actively teaching and performing Persian and middle-eastern hand drums.
Reza Honari
Kamanche
Reza Honari is a multi-instrumentalist who specializes in the Persian Kamanche. Reza grew up in the remote province of Baluchistan Iran where he developed an interest in piano and violin at an early age. Reza continued studying theory and composition with the great Iranian clarinetist, Mohammad Reza Shirkhodaei. He immigrated to Canada from Iran in 1985 and has since been actively pursuing the art of Persian traditional and folk music and plays the Persian Spike Fiddle, Kamanche.  Reza performs internationally and has been featured in many recordings and concerts.
Saina Khaledi
Santour
Saina Khaledi was the winner of the Iranian Santour Festival in 2003. Saina received her diploma from Iran’s most prestigious music school, the Tehran Music Conservatoire. She continued her studies and graduated in Music (Bachelors of Arts) from the Tehran Music University in 2007 at which point she studied with Masters: Mr. Nasrollah Khaledi, Mrs. Soosan Aslani (Dehlavi), and Mrs. Arfa Atraei. Saina has performed in Iran, Austria, USA and Canada often as a soloist or with groups such as, the National Orchestra of Iran Conservatoire, Iran Youth Great Orchestra, Mellal Orchestra, Hamsaz Ensemble, Hamnavazan Ensemble, and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.
