about
Hearing Niknaz’s musical expression is smelling the vigorous blossoms of a contemporary narrative rooting in the rich and authentic ground of the heritage of Persian art and culture. Niknaz plays both genre-based and self-composed music repertoire on tanbour and setar, Persian lutes. In parallel, she carries out musicological research in the precedent genres of Iranian music in addition to a philosophical exploration in order to express authentic and meaning-oriented music. Possessing a profound imagination, having been immersed in the poetic-ness and beauty of Persian art and literature, doing multi-faceted academic music research and having many years of experience in professional performance on stage led Niknaz to have a personal artistic representation of her research-based projects and performances in addition to her mesmerizing sonority.
Niknaz graduated from SOAS, University of London in Master of Music Performance (MMus). Also, she holds Master of Philosophy from Art university of Tehran. Not only has she studied and contemplated in Iranian ancient music repertoire but also in Iranian philosophy, art and literature which resonates both musically and visually in her self-created projects. She enjoyed learning from outstanding masters and professors such as Keykhosrow Pournazeri, Arshad Tahmasbi, Tinoush Bahrami, Babak Khazrayi and Majid Esmaeeli, and started her music career as a tanbour player in Shamss Ensemble conducted by Keykhosrow Pournazeri in 2011. She also collaborated with London Silk Road Collective, Nazar Ensemble and Miratra Orchestra.
In 2017, Niknaz began a personally novel track in research and practice. Her multilayered approach to her musical expression embraces analytical-musicological research in melodic and rhythmic figures in Persian music repertoire in addition to intellectual-conceptual study of their capabilities for transferring meanings and senses through aural imagination. Her musicological research surrounds two main genres of Iranian music repertoire, classical called radif-e dastgāhi and regional called maqāmi. She suggests modulations and intra/inter fusions based on which she composes her music. Her representation of self-composed or existed genres of Iranian repertoire are visualized in video arts conceptualized and written by herself.
In 2019, She carried out “Hands” and “Khonya” projects both of which were performed in SOAS, Brunei Gallery. They respectively propose new techniques for tanbour instrument and a renaissance in Persian bardic ritual. In her next project under the title of “Inscription upon the Water” awarded by Bozar and Embassy of Republic Germany Tehran for the residency of HerMap Art Project in June-Oct 2021, Niknaz explores “A Metaphorically Musical Representation by the Implementation of Melodic and Rhythmic Figures in Iranian Music Repertoire” which reflects in a four-episode audio-video art. The three artistic-academic projects opened a new window to her innovative musical expression and professional character carried on until now.
Education:
2018-2019
Master of Music Performance (Mmus Performance), SOAS, University of London
2009-2012
Master of Philosophy of Art, Art university of Tehran
Performances:
2019-Current
Freelance Musician
1. June 2021-March 2022, “Inscriptions upon the water” Project
2. December-November 2021, “Maqāmāt” Project, India-based virtual Kazi Nazrul Congress, UK-based virtual Radha Raman Folk Festival
3. May 2019, “Hands” Project, UK, London, SOAS, University of London, Brunei Gallery
4. September 2019, “Khonyā” Project, UK, London, SOAS, University of London, Brunei Gallery
2008-current
Collaborative Performances:
1. 2018-2019 , Silk Road Collective Conducted by Prof. Rachel Harris
2. 2008- 2016, Shamss Ensemble Conducted by Keykhosrow Pournazeri
3. 2016, Nāzār Ensemble Conducted by Yalda Abbasi
4. 2016, Miratra Orchestra Conducted by Miramir Miri
Research and Articles:
March 2022
“A Metaphorically Musical Representation by the Implementation of the Modal and Rhythmic Figures in Persian Music Repertoire”, Hermap Art Projects.
March 2021
“Ancient ritual, New Mirror; decoding Samā Ritual and the investigation of its continuity in Gurdjieff’s Dance” in Maktab-e Sabā Quarterly, no. 2, Tehran: Roya Pub.
Teaching Experiences:
September 2020-Current
Iran, Tehran, Ardavan Kamkar Music Academy
2018-2019
London, UK, Sornai Music Academy
March 2007-September 2016
Tehran, Iran, Shamss School of tanbour (Pournazeries)
Album:
February 2012
Tanbours Chant Composed by Pournazeries, IranGām Pub.
