From Oral Tradition to Canon
In this workshop, Shahin Shahbazi offers an introduction to the historical development and musical significance of the Radif, the foundational repertoire of Persian classical music. He will explain the structure of the Dastgāh system and its related Āvāz modes, along with the role of Gusheh as the melodic building blocks that shape each modal space. Through a clear overview of form, function, and aesthetics, the presentation highlights how the Radif has shaped performance practice, improvisation, and musical identity in Iran. The lecture will also include live demonstrations of selected classical melodies, allowing listeners to hear how theory and tradition come to life in performance.
About the instructor:
Shahin Shahbazi is an Iranian American composer, scholar, and virtuoso tar and setar player based in Washington State. His journey in music began at the age of ten with the tombak, before transitioning to the tar and setar under the encouragement of his mother. Shahbazi received foundational training in Persian classical music from renowned masters such as Mohammad Reza Lotfi, Dariush Talaei, Hossein Alizadeh, Hooshang zarif, and Farhad Fakhreddini, who shaped his approach to composition. He further refined his skills in composition and orchestration through the master classes of Professor Manuchehr Sahbai. His academic perspective was profoundly influenced by the ethnomusicology courses of Dr. Mohsen Hajarian, which deepened his understanding of musicology and inspired his scholarly pursuits. Shahbazi continued his studies of ethnomusicology and composition in the United States under distinguished professors such as Hafez Modirzadeh, John Carlos Perea, Ben Sabey, and Bruce Cook, further broadening his interdisciplinary approach to music.
Currently, Shahin is continuing his PhD studies in Ethnomusicology at the University of Washington, where he also serves as a teaching assistant in the Department of Music.
Shahbazi’s contributions to Persian music include several Farsi-language articles on topics such as music and language, Indian music, and the structure of the Radif in Iranian music. As a performer, his first public appearance occurred at age eleven, marking the beginning of a lifelong passion for the stage. By the age of twenty, he founded and led a music ensemble, composing and performing original works. To date, Shahbazi has released fourteen albums and several singles, collaborating on over thirty additional recordings. His work has brought him into partnership with some of the most celebrated artists in the Iranian classical music tradition, and he has performed extensively across Iran, the United States, Germany, Austria, Turkey, India, and Uzbekistan.
Shahbazi’s artistry has earned him numerous accolades, including the “Best Young Soloist Festival” award in Tehran in 2000. In 2006, he conducted fieldwork in Indian classical music in Bangalore and Delhi, culminating in a published article in Maqam music magazine in Iran. Hisalbum Aberoye Ab received the “Best Music Album” award at the Iran Music House Festival in 2013.
As an author, Shahbazi has published two significant works: Selected Works of Amir Jahed and Chaharmezrab. The latter is an interactive book for advanced tar players, available on the Apple Bookstore. Among his most important accomplishments is the recording and publication of Master Ali Akbar Shahnazi’s Radif, a seminal repertoire of Persian classical music. For the first time in history, Shahbazi and his ensemble, Nafir, reinterpreted this repertoire with new arrangements, producing a four-CD collection with over 250 tracks after six years of meticulous effort.
In 2021, Shahbazi completed a composition project featuring 22 pieces inspired by Persian arouz (prosody). He holds a master’s degree in composition from San Francisco State University, earned after immigrating to the United States in 2013. With over 30 national performances and numerous workshops and lectures, Shahbazi has shared his expertise at esteemed institutions, including San Francisco State University, the University of Oklahoma, Satnford University, the University of Mississippi, the University of the Pacific, and Diablo Valley College. His work continues to bridge the worlds of performance, composition, and academic scholarship in Persian music.