~Meet the Artists of the Silk Road Ensemble~

LOCAL MEMBERS
Shahyar Daneshgar - Vocal and Percussion

A native of Teheran, Shahyar grew up in music-loving Azerbaijani family. He received his training in the art of singing and drumming in family circles at an early age. His musical training includes the Teheran Conservatory of Music and the IU School of Music...

 
Aida Huseynova - Piano

Aida Huseynova, Ph.D., teaches Z111-Introduction to Music Theory for the Music in General Studies Department at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. Her books, articles and multimedia projects have been published in Azerbaijan, USA, Germany,...

 
Soheil Zolfonoon - Setar

Soheil Zolfonoon was born in Tehran in 1972. At the age of 8 started to learn Sitar under the supervision of his father, Maestro Jalal Zolfonoon. By 15 he was studying at the School of Music in Tehran. After graduating, he began researching folk music and Persian traditional Radif....

 
Melissa Dittmann - Violyn, Arhu

Though Melissa Dittmann (violin and vocals) was born and raised in Chicago, she seeks to explore the wider world through her music and studies. Melissa has been playing violin since the age of 12 and in that time has studied Western classical style, Irish fiddling, and Moroccan Andalusian music with fellow guest artist Anass Sentissi...

 
NATIONAL MEMBERS AND ASSOCIATES
Rahman Assadollahi - Accordion

Rahman Assadollahi's name is identical to the garman (accordion) among Azerbaijani's living throughout the world. He is indeed considered to be the King of Accordion Players – a title of which he is well-deserving...

 
Siamak Pouian - Tonbak, Daff

The Tonbak is the major percussion in Persian classical music. Siamak Pouian is an acclaimed Persian Tonbak player in the world and one of the most famous masters of Tonbak in Iranian history.  He is highly acclaimed in Europe, Canada and America as well. Siamak has developed the technique of this instrument to its present-day category of a virtuoso solo instrument...

 
Novruz Mamedov - Vocal, saz and percussion

Mr. Mamedov, a native of the city of Nakhchivan in the Republic of Azerbaijan, comes from a musical family whose father was a gaval (tambourine) player. Mr. Mamedov began his musical career by singing at the age of the twelve. He is a graduate of a vocational music school and the college of music...

 
Arif Bagirov - Tar and guitar

A native of Teheran, Shahyar grew up in music-loving Azerbaijani family. He received his training in the art of singing and drumming in family circles at an early age. His musical training includes the Teheran Conservatory of Music and the IU School of Music...

 
Mohammad Omranifar - Aazerbaijani tar

A Tar virtuoso and composer, has performed with orchestras in Iran, Turkey, Azerbaijan and throughout the USA and also masterfully plays several other ethnic instruments: the Iranian Tar, Seh-Tar, ud and the Baghlama...

 
Imamyar Hasanov - Kamancha

Imamyar Hasanov was born in Baku, Azerbaijan in 1975. He started playing the kamancha at the age of 7 and eventually became the youngest soloist in Azerbaijan's National Orchestra and National Dance Ensemble...

 
Sultan Memet - Vocal and Rubob

The famous Uyghur singer and composer Sultan Memet was born in Ghulja, Xinjiang (China). He moved to Uzbekistan in 1962 and settled in Tashkent...

 
Zohrabov's - Caspian Peral Dance Company

World-renowned dancers, choreographers and instructors are highly sought after artists of the dances of Azerbaijan. Both Namus and Olga were principle dancers with the State Dance Company of Azerbaijan over the past 30 years, and Namus was also a member of the State Dance Company of Dagestan...

 
 
Avner Shakov - Naqara and Doira

Born in 1951 in Tashkent, capital city of Uzbekistan, Avner Shakov belongs to the Bukharan Jewish community of the Central Asian Republic of Uzbekistan, which has given birth to great musicians in the region. From 1970 to1975 he studied in the Drum Department of the Tashkent Conservatory of Music...

 
INTERNATIONAL MEMBERS
Jalal Zolfonoon - Setar

Jalal Zolfonoon received his earliest musical training from his father, Habib Zolfonoon, and his older brother, Mahmoud Zolfonoon the tar...

 
Munis Sharifov - Kamancha

Munis Sharifov started his career in 1982 as the first kamancha player in an instrumental ensemble under the leadership of the famous Islam Rzayev. Since then, he has been working in close cooperation with the Azerbaijan State TV and Radio Broadcasting Company...

 
Gasan Mamedov - Violin

Coming soon...

 
2010 GUEST ARTISTS
 
PAST GUEST ARTISTS
 
PAST ARTISTS
 
a
...........................................................................................................................