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 asp ...

and musician.

Life

Ghassemi was born in

Esfahan Isfahan ( fa, اصفهان, Esfahân ), from its ancient designation ''Aspadana'' and, later, ''Spahan'' in middle Persian, rendered in English as ''Ispahan'', is a major city in the Greater Isfahan Region, Isfahan Province, Iran. It is lo ...

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

and been on stage with leading Iranian vocalists, such as maestri Mohammad Reza Shajarian and Sepideh Raissadat. His best-known composition is the last track on the best-selling classical Iranian album '' Gol-e Sadbarg'', released in 1984. This album, which includes compositions from Jalal Zolfonoun 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 Setar. Since the release of the album '' Gol-e Sadbarg'', the Setar 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 Setar with Mr. Ghassemi. Reza Ghassemi's latest album ''14 Cheerful Pieces'' with the voice of Iranian vocalist Sepideh Raissadat was released on October 25, 2010, in France (by Buda Musique 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, 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) * Gol-e Sadbarg (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 Sepideh Raissadat
A critic on his book

External links