Online Press Kit
Celebrated Kurdish Kamānche (four-stringed-spiked-fiddle) player, composer, vocalist and the founder of the Dilan Chamber Ensemble, with a pronounced cultural background, Shahriyār Jamshidi, is well-known for his creative and masterful kamānche improvisations, both as a soloist and in ensembles. He is a graduate of Tehran University of Art and a former artist-in-residence at Banff Centre. Shahriyār has devoted his artistic profession to the preservation and transmission of the Kurdish musical heritage—focusing on the kamānche as a unique and capable musical instrument to demonstrate the art-music of Kurdistan.
Shahriyār has performed at numerous Iranian music venues, including Roudaki Hall (2004) and has been invited for interviews and live performances on several radio and TV channels, including Kurdistan TV, The Voice of America Kurdish, and CBC.
Since settling in Canada in 2012, Shahriyār has consistently sought new musical languages, thereby crossing cultures with his Kurdish Kamānche recitals. He has already performed at International Society for Improvised Music (ISIM), Switzerland and Canada; High-Fest, Armenia; Festival du Monde Arabe de Montréal; Ontario Contact; Canadian Opera Company; Sound Symposium XXI (2024); 33rd World Conference of International Society for Music Education, Azerbaijan; University of Minneapolis School of Music and Cello Biënnale Amsterdam (2018); University of Glasgow, UK (2023); and collaborated with Windsor (2019) and Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra (2024).
Shahriyār’s past releases contain five solo albums (Alvanati, Call of the Mountains, A Yellow Flower, The Lullaby of A Nomad, and My Sunset-Land ROJAVA) as well as Meet Me in Tangier, HiRUDiN, Kamancello, Voyage, and Of Shadows.
In addition, Shahriyār Jamshidi has received several Canadian and international awards, including the Canada Arts Council, SOCAN Foundation, Toronto Arts Council, and Ontario Arts Council—as well as the International Society for Music Education, Australia and the US, and Imagine Fund, University of Minneapolis School of Music.
RELEASED ALBUMS
My Sunset-Land ROJAVA
Artist
Shahriyar Jamshidi
Released
June 19, 2020
Genre
World, Instrumental, Kurdish, West-Asian
Of Shadows
Artist
Raphael Weinroth-Browne and Shahriyar Jamshidi
Released
July 3, 2020
Genre
Instrumental, World
Kamancello
Artist
Raphael Weinroth-Browne | Cello Shahriyar Jamshidi | Kamanche
Released
2017
Genre
World, Improvisation
Meet Me in Tangier
Artist
Richard Robeson, Shahriyar Jamshidi, Sina Khosravi
Released
November 2016
Genre
World, Middle-eastern, Classical, Folk, Trio, Instrumental
Alvanati
Artist
Yadollah Rahmani, Shahriyar Jamshidi
Released
2004
Genre
World, Kurdish, West Asian, Vocal, Traditional, Classical
LISTEN TO MY ALBUMS
PRESS
“If you are the kind of quiet soul that thrives on new sounds that come from within the new spirit, you may have just have to discover this unique CD.” [Blast Toronto]
“The album, deeply inspired by the ideals of the peoples of Rojava places Kurdish women at the forefront, for the ways in which they have devoted their lives to freedom for Sinjar and Kobanê during the past few years.” [Naz Oak, Kedistan]
“The sadness of this music reflects the sorrows of Kurds from tortures and massacres,” Jamshidi explained to CM. “Indeed, by this music, I have tried to make a bridge between listeners and the title to awaken listeners’ sympathy.” [Harun Zulic, Canuckistan Music]
“Hikûmeta navendî naxwaze muzîka gelan hebe, ew dixwaze tenê yek muzîka milî hebe. Hikûmetê nedixwest muzîkên neteweyên din hebin. Jixwe, heta deh salan piştî 1978’an muzîk qededexe bû. Îro jî heqê jinan nîne stranan bibêjin.” [Luqman Guldivê, Oz Group Politika]
