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

Kayhan Kalhor's Early Life and Music Education

Kayhan Kalhor was born in Tehran, the capital of Iran. His family was Kurdish. He started learning music when he was just seven years old. By the time he was thirteen, he was already playing in Iran's National Orchestra.

Learning Traditional Iranian Music

Kayhan continued to study music with many different teachers. He learned about the Iranian radif tradition. This is a special way of organizing and playing classical Persian music. He also traveled to northern Khorasan province to study music there. The music in this area has influences from Kurdish and Turkish traditions.

Studying Music Abroad

At age 17, Kayhan left Iran to study music in Rome, Italy. He traveled a long way by land, walking through countries like Turkey and Romania. He did farm work along the way to earn money. After studying in Rome, he moved to Canada. He finished his music studies at Carleton University in Ottawa.

Four years after he left Iran, a sad event happened. His parents and brother died in an attack during the Iran-Iraq War.

Kayhan Kalhor's Music Career

Kalhor performing in Vahdat Hall in 2016

Kayhan Kalhor is known for his wide range of musical styles. He plays several instruments and mixes different cultures in his music. But his main instrument is the kamancheh. When he plays, he often combines Iranian classical music with the folk melodies of the Kurdish people.

Working with Other Musicians

Kayhan has written music for and performed with famous Iranian singers. These include Mohammad Reza Shajarian and Shahram Nazeri. He has also worked with Indian musicians. He played with 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. He made this album with Iranian lute player Ali Akbar Moradi. His 2006 album, The Wind, was a project with Turkish musician 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 to the United States

In 1991, after finishing university, Kayhan moved to the United States. He settled in Brooklyn, New York City. He became very successful there. By the late 1990s, he was recording his own albums. These albums soon led to collaborations with other artists. In 2000, he was invited to join a project with many international musicians. This project became the famous Silk Road Ensemble. Two of his works were nominated for Grammy Awards in 2004.

Returning to Iran and Later Moves

In 2002, Kayhan returned to Iran. He settled in Tehran and met his partner, Zohreh Soltanabadi. He planned to stay in Iran. However, after protests in 2009, he decided to leave again. He moved back to the United States with Zohreh, where they got married.

In 2010, Kayhan wrote a piece called "I was there." It was based on an old melody. He performed this piece with other talented musicians.

Kayhan and Zohreh tried to get permanent residency in the United States. But Zohreh had to return to Iran to care for her mother. For a few years, they mostly saw each other online or met in other countries. Kayhan eventually got his permanent residency. In 2017, Zohreh's application for residency in the US was not approved. That same year, Kayhan was told his US residency might be taken away. Because of this, Kayhan returned to Iran. He and Zohreh now live in Tehran. He still travels to the United States to perform concerts.

Since 2018, he has often performed with the Constantinople ensemble. He plays alongside Kiya Tabassian, another amazing musician.

Concert Cancellation

In 2019, Kayhan cancelled a concert in Turkey. He did this because of a military action in Syria. He said in a video, “A violent war has started in northern Syria. This has made life much harder for the Kurdish people. I was going to have a concert in Istanbul, but I will cancel it. I do this out of respect for my Kurdish brothers and sisters.” He has not given a concert 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