Iranian composers and santur players Karen Keyhani, 36, and Pouya Saraee, 32, gave a joint performance 'As Far As Possible', at the first modern santur concert held in Geneva, Switzerland.
Keyhani wrote the composition a few years ago. "I think it to be a rare musical piece. No concert with such symphonic structure has been written," so far, Saraee, the santur soloist of the piece told Mehr News Agency.
Keyhani integrated santur (a hammered dulcimer of Iranian origin) into the piece composed in memory of the three mountaineers (including a close friend) who lost their lives while descending the Himalayan Broad Peak in 2013.
'As Far As Possible' is the first track of the album Modes Vol. 30 brought out by Society of Composers Inc (SCI), an independent US-based organization concerned with the fellowship, collaboration, career goals and objectives of new and contemporary music composers and those interested in topics related to composition.
Modes 30 was released on August 12. The album features a diverse array of compositions, with influences from around the world and experiences that are new and avant-garde. Keyhani is teacher at Art University of Tehran and Music Department of the University of Applied Science and Technology. He studied traditional Persian music at Azad University of Art and Architecture.
He has performed numerous concerts with the ensembles Matka (Geneva), Maroon Trio (Kansas), Mise-en (New York) and London New Wind Ensemble (London), and has accompanied musicians Aurelie Communal, Brendon Bushman, Sergio Bernetti, Marta Marinelli and Catherine Pluygers.
