Mahmoud Zoufonoun facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mahmoud Zoufonoun
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Zoufonoun in his early 20s, circa 1940.
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| Background information | |
| Native name |
محمود ذوالفنون
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| Also known as | Ostad Mahmoud Zoufonoun |
| Born | 1 January 1920 Shiraz, Iran |
| Died | 19 October 2013 (aged 93) Bay Area, California, United States |
| Genres | Persian traditional |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Violin |
| Years active | 1928–2013 |
Mahmoud Zoufonoun (born January 1, 1920 – died October 19, 2013) was an amazing musician from Iran who later lived in America. People called him "Ostad," which means "Master." He was very skilled in Persian traditional music, a special kind of music from Iran.
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Mahmoud Zoufonoun's Life and Musical Journey
Mahmoud Zoufonoun's love for music started when he was a kid. He would secretly listen to his father, Habib Zoufonoun, playing and teaching the tar. The tar is a stringed instrument, a bit like a guitar.
His father started teaching him the tar when Mahmoud was only 8 years old. By the time he was twelve, Mahmoud was already good enough to teach the tar to others in his town! Around this age, he became very interested in the violin. Since he didn't have a violin, he actually designed and built his own!
In the 1930s, Mahmoud moved to Shiraz, a city in Iran. There, he learned how to read musical notes from a clarinet teacher. He also took more violin lessons. In 1936, when he was 16, his first violin teacher encouraged him to move to Tehran. In Tehran, he took lessons from a famous teacher named Rouben Gregorian.
In the early 1940s, Mahmoud Zoufonoun started playing solo music on Radio Iran. In 1942, he helped create a music group called Anjomane Mooseeghee Melli. There, he met Rouhollah Khaleghi, who led the orchestra.
Mahmoud Zoufonoun worked as a soloist (someone who plays alone). He was also a composer (someone who writes music), an arranger (someone who changes music for different instruments), and a conductor (someone who leads an orchestra). He was part of the famous “Golha orchestra.” Throughout his career, he worked hard to collect and write down many regional folk songs and musical styles. This big project was never fully finished.
After he retired in 1976, Mahmoud and his family moved to the United States. He kept teaching, writing, and performing traditional Persian music. He often played with his sons in a group called the Zoufonoun Ensemble.
Teaching Music to Others
Besides performing, Mahmoud Zoufonoun was also a dedicated teacher. He taught the violin in his own studio until he passed away. He also taught at many important schools and universities. These included the National School for Iranian Music (which he helped start), The Shabaneh Adult Art School, the Institute for the Arts, The University of Tehran, and The Danesh-e Sarah-e Honar. He helped many students learn and love Persian music.
Special Honors and Tributes
On January 20, 2007, a special event was held to honor Mahmoud Zoufonoun. A non-profit arts group called Z Venue organized "A Tribute to Mahmoud Zoufonoun." This event took place at the beautiful Palace of Fine Arts Theatre in San Francisco.
Famous Musical Works
Mahmoud Zoufonoun created many wonderful musical pieces. Here are some of his notable compositions:
- Concerto Dashti for Symphony Orchestra
- Tareneh Bayateh Tork (performed by the Golha Orchestra with Banan singing)
- Taraneh Mahour: "Gol-o-Zaari" (lyrics by Hafez)
- Naghd-e-Sufi: A suite in Rastpanjgah, including original songs like "Bovad-aya," "Naghd-e-Sufi," and "Baba Taher"
- Faash-Mee-Gooyam: A suite in Chahargah, with original songs like "Sheydaee," "Narm Narmak," and "Faash-Mee-Gooyam"
- Heelat-Raha-Kon: A suite in Oshagh, including the original song "Heelat-Raha-Kon"
- Anthem in Chahargah: "Vatan" (lyrics by Simin Behbahani)
See also
- Jalal Zolfonun (Zoufonoun)
- Composers of Traditional Persian Music
Images for kids
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A photograph of Habib Zoufonoun (Mahmoud's father) making his own tar.
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