On Sunday, November 30 at 7pm, The Town Hall in New York City will host a rare and historic evening of Persian classical music, led by one of Iran’s most celebrated musicians: Kayhan Kalhor, Grammy-winning virtuoso of the kamancheh (spiked fiddle). This marks Kalhor’s first large-scale New York performance of Persian classical music in over a decade.
Joining him on stage will be acclaimed setar player Kiya Tabassian and tombak master Behrouz Jamali, together creating an authentic presentation of a musical tradition known for its subtle beauty, spiritual depth, and cultural richness.
Kalhor is widely regarded as a transcendent figure in world music. His career spans performances with major orchestras, groundbreaking ensembles, and cross-cultural collaborations. He was a founding member of Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble, co-founder of The Masters of Persian Music with Mohammad Reza Shajarian and Hossein Alizadeh, and part of the Grammy-nominated Persian–Indian group Ghazal with sitarist Shujaat Husain Khan. His collaborations extend to the New York Philharmonic, Kronos Quartet, Brooklyn Rider, Malian kora legend Toumani Diabaté, and Turkish virtuoso Erdal Erzincan.
Earlier this year, Kalhor premiered Venus in the Mirror, his double concerto for kamancheh, cello, and orchestra, alongside Yo-Yo Ma and the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra in Hamburg, Germany—underscoring his role as a bridge between Eastern and Western traditions.
For Kalhor, Persian music is more than performance—it is cultural storytelling. “We come from a venerable culture that has made profound contributions to the world through poetry, science, philosophy, and art,” he reflects. “Through my music, I hope to reveal the splendor of my homeland, so often misrepresented. When people connect through music, the space opens for dialogue, awareness, and discovery.”
Born in Iran to a Kurdish family, Kalhor was recognized as a prodigy early on, joining the Iranian National Radio and Television Orchestra at just 13. His musical journey has since encompassed studies in Persian traditions, Kurdish folk, Western classical music in Rome, and a degree in music from Ottawa.
At The Town Hall, audiences will witness the depth of Persian classical artistry in its purest form. As Kalhor emphasizes, “Our music is not religious, but it is deeply connected to Iranian philosophy and mysticism, and this makes it spiritual. This concert is pure music. It has nothing to do with politics or social matters. As musicians, our mission is to tell the story of our culture.”
For lovers of world music, classical traditions, or transcendent live performance, this concert is not to be missed.
Kayhan Kalhor in Concert
The Town Hall, New York City
Sunday, November 30, 7pm
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