Kalhor, Erzincan to play in Netherlands, France

TEHRAN.(Iranart) - Iranian kamancheh virtuoso Kayhan Kalhor and Erdal Erzincan, Turkish folk musician, composer, and singer, are to jointly perform two impromptu concerts -- one on November 10 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and another in Schiltigheim, France, on November 27.

Kalhor, 54, is one of Iran’s acclaimed artists and a Grammy winner. A master of kamancheh (a spiked fiddle), he is widely known for his stirring improvisations, exquisite compositions, and extensive collaboration with international artists including Chinese American cellist Yo-Yo Ma, New York based string quartet Brooklyn Rider, American string band Kronos Quartet, Argentinean composer Osvaldo Golijov and many other orchestras around the world.

“Kayhan Kalhor, and Erdal Erzincan, are the ambassadors of two different cultures. But their music unites them as a soul shared,” Jds.fr, a website selling the tickets for the France-based event, wrote.

“Kalhor , this acclaimed player of kamancheh has enriched his concerts by fusing his music with that of other genres and cultures. He sits next to the biggest baglama player, Erdal Erzincan. The strands of their music slowly fuse together to show that the masterful playing of instruments by itself is not the only issue here. The unity of Persian and Turkish music can be felt in the improvisations of the two great artists.”

Kalhor will also accompany Ali Bahramifard’s dulcimer with new pieces on November 14 in Amsterdam.

For another event, Stanford University, California, will be the venue for a duet performance by Kalhor and Ali Akbar Moradi on December 10. The two top  musicians released the popular album ‘In the Mirror of the Sky’ years ago.

In his last concert for this year on December 19, Kalhor will play in  ‘Beyond the Silent Garden’ concert in Istanbul with Navid Afqah, Ali Bahramifard, and Hadi Azarpira, three Iranian instrumentalists who have collaborated with him in his recent programs.