Kiya Tabassian
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Kiya Tabassian | |
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| Background information | |
| Born | August 11, 1976 Tehran, Iran |
| Genres | World music, Persian music, Ancient music, Baroque music |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, Composer |
| Instrument | Setar |
| Years active | 2001-present |
| Labels | ATMA Classique, Glossa, Analekta |
| Member of | Constantinople |
| Website | www.constantinople.ca/en |
Kiya Tabassian (born August 11, 1976 in Tehran) is an Iranian musician, singer, and composer. He moved to Canada in 1990 and created the musical ensemble Constantinople, assuming the roles of both artistic director and composer.
Constantinople includes the interplay between Persian musical traditions and a variety of global styles. Their performances span numerous countries, featuring collaborations with musicians such as Kayhan Kalhor, Ablaye Cissoko, Ghalia Benali, Françoise Atlan, Hana Blažíková, Shashank Subramanyam, and Marco Beasley.
Early life and education
[edit]Kiya Tabassian was raised in Iran. At the age of 12, he learned the setâr, a traditional Persian string instrument. This led him to play and reinterpret pieces from traditional Persian music during his formative years.[1] At the age of 14, he moved to Montreal, Canada with his parents and two brothers.[1]
He studied music alongside Reza Ghassemi, Kayhan Kalhor, and Gilles Tremblay at the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal.[2]
Musical career
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Kiya Tabassian founded the Constantinople ensemble in 1998 and has been its artistic director ever since. This group, spanning world, ancient, and baroque music, is dedicated to blending musical traditions from both the East and West.
From 2002 to 2005, Tabassian actively contributed to the international MediMuses project where he was part of the research group on the history of Mediterranean music and collaborated on various publishing and recording endeavors.[2]
In parallel, Tabassian's compositional skills have been sought after by several musical formations and institutions, including the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, the Nouvel Ensemble Moderne, Bradyworks, and the European Broadcasting Union. He has also composed music for documentary films such as "Jabaroot" and "Voices of the Unheard."
In 2015, Tabassian initiated and directed the first-ever world music residency program at the Banff Center for the Arts. The following year, he contributed his vocals to the soundtrack of the video game "Assassin's Creed: Origins."
In 2017, as part of Montreal's 375th anniversary, Tabassian composed the anthem "Mémoires d'Ahuntsic," which was presented as a gift to the city.[3] That same year, he co-founded the Centre des musiciens du monde in Montreal with ethnomusicologist Frédéric Léotar,[4] where he served as artistic director and oversaw the "Centre des musiciens du monde" record collection on the Analekta label until 2022.[5]
In 2020, Tabassian co-authored, alongside poet Hélène Dorion, the musical and poetic suite "Le temps des forêts", based on life stories collected from residents of LTCHs in Montreal.
Having spent seven years on the Conseil des arts de Montréal, where he presided over the music decision-making committee for three years, Tabassian joined the Board of Directors of the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec in 2023.[6] He was also commissioned by the Conseil québécois de la musique to lead a reflection committee on the role of world music in the realm of concert music.[7]
Discography
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- Jardin de la Mémoire (2000)[8]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Beaucage, Réjean (March 2015). "Kiya Tabassian, musicien sans frontières". La Scena Musicale. 20 (5): 8–11.
- ^ a b "Kiya Tabassian". Le Vivier (in French). 2020-08-14. Retrieved 2024-01-04.
- ^ "Mémoires d'Ahuntsic - « Le long de la rivière, les arbres auront tout vu » | Les moulins de l'Île de la Visitation au Sault-au-Récollet : trois cents ans d'histoire à célébrer en 2026!". Les moulins de l’Île de la Visitation au Sault-au-Récollet : trois cents ans d’histoire à célébrer en 2026! (in French). Retrieved 2024-01-04.
- ^ "Le Centre des Musiciens du Monde à Montréal (2/3)". France Musique (in French). 2023-09-02. Retrieved 2024-01-04.
- ^ "Albums | Collection du Centre des musiciens - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 2024-01-04.
- ^ "Comités du conseil d'administration". Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (in Canadian French). Retrieved 2024-01-04.
- ^ "Kiya Tabassian". SMCQ. Retrieved 2024-01-04.
- ^ "Kiya Tabassian Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More". AllMusic. Retrieved 2024-01-29.