Reza Ghassemi ( fa, رضا قاسمی; born 1949) is an

Iranian Iranian may refer to: * Iran, a sovereign state * Iranian peoples, the speakers of the Iranian languages. The term Iranic peoples is also used for this term to distinguish the pan ethnic term from Iranian, used for the people of Iran * Iranian lan ...

novelist A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living writing novels and other fiction, while others aspire to ...

and

musician A musician is a person who composes, conducts, or performs music. According to the United States Employment Service, "musician" is a general term used to designate one who follows music as a profession. Musicians include songwriters who wri ...

Life

Ghassemi was born in

Esfahan Isfahan ( fa, اصفهان, Esfahân ), from its Achaemenid empire, ancient designation ''Aspadana'' and, later, ''Spahan'' in Sassanian Empire, middle Persian, rendered in English as ''Ispahan'', is a major city in the Greater Isfahan Regio ...

. Besides his activities as a writer he is also involved in exercising classical Iranian music and a master of the Persian

lute A lute ( or ) is any plucked string instrument with a neck and a deep round back enclosing a hollow cavity, usually with a sound hole or opening in the body. It may be either fretted or unfretted. More specifically, the term "lute" can ref ...

, the

Setar A setar ( fa, سه‌تار, ) is a stringed instrument, a type of lute used in Persian traditional music, played solo or accompanying voice. It is a member of the tanbur family of long-necked lutes with a range of more than two and a half octa ...

. He has composed songs for the Iranian maestro

Shahram Nazeri Shahram Nazeri ( ku, شارام نازری, translit=Şaram Nazirî, ; born 18 February 1950) is a contemporary Iranian tenor of Kurdish origin from Kermanshah, Iran, who sings Sufi music, classical and traditional Kurdish and Persian music. He ...

and been on stage with leading Iranian vocalists, such as maestri

Mohammad Reza Shajarian Mohammad-Reza Shajarian ( fa, محمدرضا شجريان; , 23 September 1940 – 8 October 2020) was an Iranian singer and master (''Ostad'') of Persian traditional music. He was also known for his skills in Persian calligraphy and humanitaria ...

and

Sepideh Raissadat Sepideh Raissadat ( fa, سپیده رئیس‌سادات) is a classical Persian music singer. Biography Sepideh Raiissadaat Sepideh Raissadat was born in Tehran in 1980. She began studying Radif (the Repertoire of Persian classical music) at t ...

. His best-known composition is the last track on the best-selling classical Iranian album ''

Gol-e Sadbarg ''Gol-e Sadbarg'' (), is the debut album of Shahram Nazeri released in 1984, containing eight tracks. The album consisted exclusively of the lesser-known poems of Rumi and was released on the 800th anniversary of the birth of Rumi. The album be ...

'', released in 1984. This album, which includes compositions from

Jalal Zolfonoun Jalaal Zulfonun ( fa, جلال ذوالفنون, Jalâl Zolfonun, ) was an Iranian musician, setaar player, and a prominent composer and teacher of Persian music. Collaboration with Maurice Béjart He has also collaborated with Maurice Béjart ...

and

as well as Reza Ghassemi, is believed to have had the most influential effect on young Iranian artists who initially were reluctant to learn the

. Since the release of the album ''

'', the

has enjoyed much more popularity among Iranians. In truth, Ghassemi and his two famous colleagues, mentioned above, began a new era in Iranian classical music. Though he lives in France, Ghassemi has not given up teaching Iranian music. Farrokhzad Layegh has studied the

with Mr. Ghassemi. Reza Ghassemi's latest album ''14 Cheerful Pieces'' with the voice of Iranian vocalist

was released on October 25, 2010, in France (by

Buda Musique Buda Musique is a French record label specializing in world music. It was founded in 1987 by Gilles Fruchaux and Dominique Buscall. After Buscall died in 1990, Fruchaux became the sole owner. The label is especially known for its ''Éthiopiques' ...

Records). He has published three novels so far: ''Nocturnal Orchestra of Woods'' (1996), ''The Well of Babel'' (1999) and ''The Spell Chanted by Lambs'' (2002). Some of his works have been translated into French. ''The Spell Chanted by Lambs'' is his first work in English. Reza Ghassemi has also directed an award-winning film ''In Full Bloom'' (2019).

Awards

*2002

Hooshang Golshiri Literary Award The Hooshang Golshiri Literary Award is an Iranian literary award notable for being one of the few literary awards in Iran that is run by a non-governmental organization. Established in 2000, the award is sponsored by the non-profit Golshiri Found ...

, Best First Novel, ''The Nocturnal Harmony'' *2002 The writers and critical award *2002 PEKA Award *2010 The writers and critical award

Albums

* 14 Cheerful Pieces (rel. Oct. 2010) * Dashti-Mahour (rel. 1992) * Improvisation in Esfahan – Rast Panjgah * Siavash Khani (Chahargah) *

(rel. 1984)

Publications

* Reza Ghassemi, 1996 - ''Nocturnal Orchestra of Woods'' * Reza Ghassemi, 1999 - ''The Well of Babel'' * Reza Ghassemi, 2002 - ''The Spell Chanted by Lambs''

References

A critic (in farsi) of his latest album (14 Cheerful Pieces)
with

A critic on his book

External links