Vancouver Folk Music Festival

July 14 to 16, 2023

Kayhan Kalhor Trio | Iran/CA & QC

Three-time Grammy nominee and 2017 Grammy-winner (with Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble, which he cofounded), Kayhan Kalhor is an internationally acclaimed virtuoso on the kamancheh. Kalhor has been instrumental in popularizing Persian music in the West, and is a creative force on today’s music scene. His performances of traditional Persian music and multiple collaborations have attracted audiences around the globe.

Kalhor’s instrument, the kamancheh (spike fiddle), is the ancient bowed string instrument of Iran, and an ancestor to most bowed instruments throughout Asia and Europe. He was born in Tehran and began his musical studies at the age of seven. A child prodigy on the kamancheh, his talent was immediately recognized and nourished. He has studied the music of Iran’s many regions, in particular those of Khorason and Kordestan, and has toured the world as a soloist with various ensembles and orchestras including the New York Philharmonic and the Orchestre National de Lyon.

“When Mr. Kalhor performed, it sounded like a conversation among several ­instruments, with the varying timbres at times evoking the wailing pleas of disconsolate lovers. From a simple, muted beginning, the music became more intense and embellished, as ornate melodies and ornaments unfolded with calligraphic detail…” – NY Times

Mr. Kahlor (on kamancheh) will be performing as a trio with Kiya Tabassian (setar) and Hamin Honari (tombak). Honari is originally from Vancouver and now resides in Montreal.