Sohrab Pournazeri

Sohrab Pournazeri, virtuoso of the Tanbour, Kamancheh, and Setar is a sensational phenomenon of modern Iranian music. He is a composer, singer, and instrumentalist whose music has surpassed the borders of Iran, fusing with cultures and artists as far and wide as China and the United States. Sohrab was born in 1983 to the musical family of Pournazeris. His father Kaykhosro Pournazeri is one of Iran's most influential musicologists, and his brother Tahmoures has engendered a new movement in Iranian music through his performances and compositions. Music was Sohrab's mother tongue; he learned it as other children learn to speak. At the age of two, he would play his father's Tanboor (whose body was larger than his) and sing the poetry of Rumi and Hafez. At 13, he was introduced to the stage as part of the Shams Ensemble, and today he is considered one of the core members of the group.

Also starting at age 13, Sohrab studied the techniques of the Kamancheh with Ardeshir Kamkar, and, because of his musical talent, was able to begin playing as a soloist with the Shams Ensemble after two years. Sohrab is also well versed in the regional music of his native Iran, as well as western classical music, and holds a degree in Music Performance. As a soloist and vocalist, Sohrab has collaborated with artists and ensembles worldwide - including Mr. Shajarian, Shujaat Hussain Khan, the Beyond Borders Project, and the Pacific Symphony Orchestra.