TEHRAN-The accomplished classical and Azeri folk singer and composer Davood Azad will perform at Tehran’s Vahdat Hall next month.

The event is slated for November 10. At the concert, Azad will sing and play the tar, a long-necked waisted lute family instrument, ILNA reported on Tuesday.

At the performance, he will be accompanied by Samer Habibi on kamancheh (Iranian bowed string instrument), Amin Heidari on oud (a short-neck lute-type, pear-shaped, fretless stringed instrument), Maryam Hajmalian on rabab (a lute-like musical instrument), Nabil Yousef Sharidavi on daf (an Iranian frame drum musical instrument), and Homayoun Jahanshahi on tonbak (Iranian goblet drum).

Born in Urmia, West Azarbaijan Province, Azad, 60, is a virtuoso in Persian instruments tar, oud, daf, rabab, setar (Iranian lute-like stringed instrument), and tanbur (a long-necked string instrument). He is also a vocalist in Iranian classical music, Azeri folk music, and Persian Sufi music, which refers to the devotional music of the Sufis, inspired by the works of Sufi poets like Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi.

Recently he performed in Ahar and Maragheh cities, East Azarbaijan Province, on the occasion of the Shams Day and Rumi Day in the Iranian calendar, September 29 and 30 respectively. The celebrated thinker Shams Tabrizi is known as the spiritual instructor and mentor of the Persian poet Rumi.

Azad is admired for his unique singing style, integrating classical and modern music. He has held over 300 concerts in Iran and other counties, and performed at international festivals over the last two decades in Iran, Europe, North America, Australia and East Asia. He is the first Iranian lecturer invited to Oxford University to lecture about Iranian music and its forms.

With his contemporary vision of classic Persian music, he tries to spread the message of and belief in unity, harmony and peace among nations. His music is universal and appeals to people of all backgrounds.

SS/