About
HazarAva Ensemble
The Nightingale (Hazar) has come to symbolize both love and death inpoetry. Free to sing, the nightingale’s song brings life to any setting.However, if it is trapped and rendered voiceless, she will die.
The Hazar Ava Ensemble was established in 2016 under the guidance of Amir Eslami in Vancouver. Atoosa Nezakaty, Banafsheh Farahmand and Pegah Sherkdat are the core of the ensemble. This trio ensemble of female singers who harmonize as a polyphonic music and perform classical Persian music.
Amir Eslami
Amir Eslami was born in Esfahan, Iran in 1971. He started music by playing Ney (Persian traditional flute) when he was 15 years old and studied at the Tehran University of Art, receiving a BA and MA in music composition. Amir served as a faculty member at Art University of Tehran including as Head of the Iranian Music Department and Dean of Administration for the Music Faculty. He published the oldest Persian music repertoire “Montazem Al-Hokama’s Radif” by Tehran Art University publication in 2014, and he could receive the best research award in the Music Faculty of Tehran University of Art. “All of You” was a music album in collaboration with Dr. Hooshyar Khayam as a pianist who could receive 4 stars in “Song lines Magazine” Volume 75, London in 2011. Amir has one national and three international composition prizes (Italy, Australia, and Netherlands). Moving to Vancouver was a big decision in his life in 2015, where he could establish Vancouver Iranian Choir (Vanchoir) and HazarAva ensemble in 2016. He released more than 10 albums which the latest two albums are “Memories of a Sweet Heart’ and “The Mystery of Nightingale’s Warbling” Which have been released in Vancouver by Rumi Records. Some of music pieces by Amir Eslami performed in Iran.
Atoosa Nezakaty
Atoosa Nezakaty was born in 1963 in Tehran, Iran. She studied interior architecture in Vienna, Austria. Growing up in a family with a passion for traditional Iranian music, Atoosa has beensinging and performing music since childhood.Under the guidance of her father, master vocalist Parviz Nezakati, she studied the radif (the Persian classical music repertoire). She took musical theory lessons and studied polyphonic techniques with composer Amir Eslami.To expand her knowledge of Persian music, she took up the setar under the tutelage of Ali Razmi andMaryam Soroushnasab. Atoosa has performed many concerts in Vancouver, and has had the honor to share the stage with masters Saeed Farajpoori, Parviz Nezakati, and Amir Eslami.
Banafsheh Farahmand
Banafsheh Farahmand was born in 1987 in Tehran, Iran. After graduating from high school she studied visual arts andfashion design. She was trained as a vocalist first with Eshghi and later studiedthe radif (the Persian classical music repertoire) with Salar Aghili and Mahboobeh Golzari. Later, Banafsheh continued her studies of vocal techniques with Amir Eslami. She has had a number of artistic performances and participated in musical bands and theatre.
Pegah Sherkat
Pegah Sherkat was born in 1981 in Tehran, Iran. She earned her bachelor’s degree in graphic design. Her passion being music, she studied the radif (the Persian classical music repertoire) with Maryam Mansouri and continued her vocal training with Mahboobeh Golzari. Pegah endeavored to elevate her understanding of classical Persian music and improve her comprehension of diverse repertoires by playing tar under the tutelage of Nima Naderi. After immigrating to Canada in 2013 she continued refining her playing techniques with Pooria Pournazeri. After the Hazar Ensemble was formed, she practised polyphonic and collaborated with the group. She has been performing with the Kereshmeh Ensemble in Iran and has had several fulfilling shows in Vancouver in the past several years.
