Kayhan Kalhor facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kayhan Kalhor
Kalhor in 2017
Background information
Born	(1964-11-24) 24 November 1964 (age 60) Tehran, Iran
Genres	Iranian traditional music, Kurdish music
Occupation(s)	Musician, composer
Instruments	Kamancheh, setar
Years active	1973–present

Kayhan Kalhor (Persian: کیهان کلهر) is a famous Iranian Kurdish musician. He was born on November 24, 1964. He is a master of the kamancheh and setar, which are traditional Iranian instruments. Kayhan Kalhor is also a talented composer. He has been nominated for three Grammy Awards for his music. He also won a Grammy Award as part of the Silk Road Ensemble.

Kayhan Kalhor's Early Life and Learning

Kayhan Kalhor grew up in Kermanshah, Iran, in a Kurdish family. He started learning music when he was just seven years old. By the time he was thirteen, he was already playing in the National Orchestra of Radio and Television of Iran.

How Kayhan Kalhor Studied Music

Kayhan kept learning music from many different teachers. He studied the traditional Iranian music style called radif. He also traveled to the northern part of Khorasan province to learn about music there. This area has music that mixes Kurdish, Turkish, and Persian styles.

He went to a music school in Tehran, where he worked with Mohammad-Reza Lotfi, a famous musician. Kayhan also explored music in the northwestern parts of Iran.

Kayhan Kalhor's Travels for Music

When he was 17, Kayhan left Iran to study music in Rome, Italy. He traveled a long way by land, walking through countries like Turkey, Romania, and Yugoslavia. He took small jobs on farms to earn money for his journey. After studying in Rome, he moved to Canada and finished his music studies at Carleton University in Ottawa.

Sadly, a few years after Kayhan left Iran, his parents and brother passed away.

Kayhan Kalhor's Music Career

Kayhan Kalhor playing his kamancheh during a concert in Vahdat Hall, 2016

Kayhan Kalhor is known for his wide range of musical influences. He uses different instruments and blends music from various cultures. However, his main instrument is the kamancheh, which he plays with great passion. When he plays, he often combines traditional Iranian classical music with the rich folk tunes of the Kurdish people in Iran.

Collaborations and Albums

Kayhan has created music for and performed with famous Iranian singers like Mohammad Reza Shajarian and Shahram Nazeri. He has also worked with Indian musicians, including sitar player Shujaat Husain Khan and tabla player Swapan Chaudhuri, in a group called Ghazal.

• In 2004, Kayhan released an album called In the mirror of the Sky with Iranian lute player Ali Akbar Moradi.
• His 2006 album, The Wind, was a collaboration with Turkish baglama player Erdal Erzincan. They performed both Turkish and Persian songs.
• Kayhan has also worked with Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road Ensemble and the Kronos Quartet.

Moving and Returning

In 1991, after finishing university and becoming a Canadian citizen, Kayhan moved to Brooklyn, New York City, in the United States. He became very successful there. By the late 1990s, he was recording his own albums and working with other artists. In 2000, he was invited to Massachusetts to work with many international musicians. This project grew into the Silk Road Ensemble. Two of his songs were nominated for Grammy Awards in 2004.

In 2002, Kayhan decided to return to Iran and settled in Tehran. There, he met his partner, Zohreh Soltanabadi. Later, he decided to move back to the United States with Zohreh, where they got married and lived in Cherry Valley, California.

Recent Life and Performances

In 2010, Kayhan composed a piece called "I was there." This music was based on an old melody from a ninth-century Iranian musician named Ziryab. Kayhan performed this piece with cellist Maya Beiser, oud player Bassam Saba, and two percussionists, Glen Velez and Matt Kilmer.

Kayhan and his partner Zohreh faced challenges with living in the same country due to travel rules. Eventually, they settled in Tehran, Iran, but Kayhan still travels to perform in the United States.

Since 2018, he has often performed with the Constantinople ensemble, alongside Kiya Tabassian, who is also a master of the setar.

In 2019, Kayhan canceled a concert in Turkey. He did this to show his support for the Kurdish people in Syria during a difficult time. He has not held any concerts in Turkey since then.

Kayhan Kalhor's Music Albums

† Nominated for a Grammy Award

^§ Won a Grammy Award

See also

In Spanish: Kayhan Kalhor para niños

• Dastgah
• Music of Iran