Iranian musician grabs global accolade

Iranian tar virtuoso Hossein Alizadeh receives the Asia World Music Award he previously won in 2016.

Iran's Ambassador to Seoul Hassan Taherian received the award on behalf of Alizadeh from the foundation’s director, Kang Sun-dae, on Thursday.

The Iranian veteran musician earned the award, which includes a plaque and a cash prize of $10,000, on December 26, 2016, at the biennial of the World Music Center Foundation in Seoul.

Alizadeh expressed his thanks to the organizers of the award in a letter published on Thursday.

The award was presented for the first time in 2014 to the French-born Chinese American cellist Yo-Yo Ma.

Born in Tehran Alizadeh, 65, is a classical composer, researcher, teacher, and tar and setar (Persian instruments) player.

Alizadeh has worked together with a number of top Iranian and international musicians, including his fellow celebrated vocalists Shahram Nazeri and Mohammadreza Shajarian as well as Armenian musician and composer Djivan Gasparyan.

The recording of a concert titled ‘Endless Vision: Persian and Armenian Songs’ by Alizadeh and Gasparyan in Tehran has been among the five Grammy Award nominees for Best Traditional World Music Album in 2007.

The Iranian tar virtuoso, however, refused to accept the Chevalier of the Legion of Honor award, the highest decoration awarded by the French government, in 2014. Citing a reason why, he said that he does not want decorations and that he gains fulfillment from his good name.

He has also invented two new musical instruments called ‘Sallaneh’ and ‘Shoor-Angiz', both derived from the ancient Persian lute ‘Barbat’. Alizadeh has also penned several books related to music.

Organized by the World Music Center (WMC), the biannual Asia World Music Award commemorates artists who connect their countries with other parts of the world, especially Asia.

MG/AI