Photo courtesy of the artist

2003 NEA National Heritage Fellow Dr. Manoochehr Sadeghi Los Angeles, CA Persian santur player

Born in Tehran, Iran, the santur master Dr. Manoochehr Sadeghi is a leading virtuoso on the santur (Persian Hammered Dulcimer) with forty-five years of professional experience both in his native Iran and in the United States of America. He began studying at a young age, becoming a prized pupil of Abol Hassan Saba, a legendary figure in Persian classical music. In 1956 he was chosen by Saba to participate in his orchestra, the first Orchestra of the State Fine Arts Department of Iran, where he continued as a soloist for many years. As a member of this orchestra and other ensembles sponsored by the Iranian Government he has performed on Tehran radio and television, concertized widely and given command performances for visits of various foreign dignitaries and heads of state from India, Pakistan, Turkey, Denmark, Great Britain, The Netherlands and America. At the same time he was engaged in teaching at the Conservatory of Persian National Music in Tehran.

When he left his home country for the United States in 1964, Iranian television produced a farewell special dedicated to him. Upon his arrival in this country, he quickly became a central figure in the cultural lives of Persian Americans, a population that has grown from several thousand to half a million in the Los Angeles area alone.

Dr. Sadeghi has demonstrated his mastery of the santur for audiences around the United States but he also takes the time to teach students of Persian music. He has recorded with artists such as Seals and Crofts and Stephan Grapelli, reaching audiences unfamiliar with Persian musical traditions. In addition, he has contributed to academic scholarship on the subject, serving as a lecturer on Persian music at the University of California, Los Angeles. He recently realized a dream by founding the Nakisa Music Institute and santur.com (an online music school) dedicated to passing along knowledge and skills in Persian and world music.

 
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