Dorna Music and Art

Mindful Music - Workshop Series
2025-12-07 10:00 - 11:00, 2025-11-16 11:00 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Unlearning to Listen — A Workshop of Music, Meditation & Presence
In a world filled with constant noise, Mindful Music invites you to pause, breathe, and rediscover the art of listening. This workshop is an exploration of sound, silence, and self-awareness — where music becomes a path to mindfulness.
Through guided meditation, gentle listening exercises, and shared musical experiences, participants will be encouraged to unlearn habitual ways of hearing and open themselves to a deeper, more conscious connection with sound.
Whether you are a musician, a listener, or simply someone seeking calm and clarity, Mindful Music offers a peaceful space to reconnect with your inner rhythm and the world around you.
About the instructor:
Mohammad creates spaces where people can reconnect with their breath, their bodies, and the deeper layers of themselves. With a background in science and engineering, he once navigated the world through logic and structure until life invited him to turn inward — a journey that led him toward meditation, movement, and self-inquiry. Today, he draws from these experiences to hold compassionate, grounded spaces for reflection and healing. Rooted in mindfulness and presence, his work is not about offering answers, but about walking beside others as a fellow traveler on the path toward inner awareness.

Striking Strings
2025-12-05 07:30 - 20:30 | Bellevue First United Methodist Church, 1934 108th Ave NE, Bellevue, WA, 98004, United States
Striking Strings is a captivating performance by Iranian virtuoso Sirvan Manhoobi, featuring the tanbour, setar, and oud. Blending Persian, Kurdish, and Iranian folk roots with improvisation and original compositions, the program explores the diverse soundscapes of string instruments and the dialogue between tradition and modern expression.

In this program, Sirvan is joined by Seattle-based percussionist Rambod Dargahi, performing on the tonbak, udu, and frame drums. This performance weaves rhythm and melody into a poetic reflection on identity and heritage, expressing the musicians’ deep cultural roots and shared artistry.

From Oral Tradition to Canon
2025-11-21 18:00 - 20:00 | Denny Hall, Klickitat Ln, Seattle, WA, 98105, United States
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.

Melody of The Body
2025-10-26 14:00 - 16:00 | Theatre Puget Sound, Armory, 305 Harrison St, Seattle, WA, 98109, United States
This movement workshop invites everybody and every ability to discover new ways of listening and moving. Through guided exercises, you’ll deepen your connection to music and unlock your body’s natural expression. Led by Parmida Ziaei, participants will explore layers of sound—vocals, beats, and textures—through dynamic movement and collective flow. Come ready to move, listen, and connect with the pulse of sound within you.
No prior experience required—just bring your curiosity and energy. The workshop may be held in English, Persian, or both, depending on participants.
About the instructor:
Parmida Ziaei is an Iranian multidisciplinary artist and co-founder of Seda Theatre in Seattle. As a performer and choreographer, she weaves together training in Classical Persian dance, ballet, ballroom, and contemporary movement to craft a distinctive style that reflects her merging identities while exploring resilience, culture, and socio-political themes. In both teaching and choreography, Parmida focuses on nurturing how each individual’s body carries its lived experiences—transforming them into movement that tells stories, conveys emotion, and embodies power. In addition to her performance work, she has designed sets and productions for numerous local and regional theatres across Seattle.

Mindful Music
2025-10-18 10:00 - 11:00 | Seattle, Seattle, WA, 98105, United States

The Voice Unlocked!
2025-09-27 17:00 - 18:30 | Kirkland Woman’s Club, 407 1st Street, Kirkland, WA, 98033, United States
