Early Music Vancouver: Kalhor & Tabassian in Dialogue
$45 CAD
- Kayhan Kalhor, setar
- Kiya Tabassian, setar
From dawn to dusk, music reigns among the stars of Persian civilization. The traditional music of Iran, unique to the Orient, is the fruit of a mystical heritage with a fascinating capacity for constant regeneration. For this unique concert, Kayhan Kalhor, an uncontested master of this tradition, joins Kiya Tabassian on a journey through an immense musical universe. Carrying on tradition while uncovering the future, they make poetry that sings of times both old and new, and contribute to a culture that is in full swing.
The intensely spiritual and emotional improvisations of Kalhor and Tabassian, steeped in the traditional music of Iran, are said to bring listeners to a trance-like state. The ancestry of the setar can be traced to the ancient tanbur of pre-Islamic Persia. It is made from thin mulberry wood and its fingerboard has more than 20 moveable frets. Setar is literally translated as "three strings"; in its present form, however, it has four strings. Because of its delicacy and intimate sonority, the setar is the preferred instrument of Sufi mystics.
"Rather than a duel, the two setarists' ninety or so uninterrupted minutes onstage turned out to be a clinic in how to build something transcendent." – New York Music Daily
This concert is a duelling improvisation, no programme will be provided.
Attending in person: This concert will take place twice: Friday, June 3, 2022 7:30pm at The Kay Meek Centre for the Performing Arts; and Saturday, June 4, 2022 7:30pm at the The Roundhouse. The June 3 performance at The Kay Meek Centre is currently sold out.
Attending online: This concert will be streamed for 48hrs from June 3, 2022 at 7:30pm Pacific. Ticket purchasers will receive a link to view the concert one hour prior to the start time. Tickets will be available for purchase online until 6:30pm Pacific on June 3rd. To purchase tickets after this time, please phone the box office at (604) 981-6335.