Remembrances
In partnership with Musique Royale
August 10 2025
Featuring Maryam Tazhdeh, a talented Iranian tar player, Didem Başar, a virtuoso Turkish kanun player, kamanche player Sareh Borna, and Ziya Tabassian, a world percussionist of Iranian origin. Each performer brings technical expertise and a distinct musical language. The program includes Ziya's compositions based on Persian rhythmic cycles from the 17 th and 18th centuries.
About the Artists
Maryam Tazhdeh – Iranian Tar
Maryam Tazhdeh, born in 1980 in Tehran, is an Iranian composer, musician and university lecturer. She received her diploma from the conservatory of music and her B.A degree in Music from University of Art and Architecture. She also holds a Master's degree in Persian Music Performance from Arts University. She was taught to play the târ by great masters such as Fariborz Azizi, Hushang Zarif, Hossein Alizâdeh, Dâryush Talâ'i and Dâryush Pirniâkân. across Canada.
Didem Başar - Turkish Kanun
Born into a family steeped in music, kanun player and composer Didem Başar started her music education at Istanbul Turkish Music State Concervatory when she was 11 years old.
After completing the Conservatory’s kanun program, she continued her training at the same institution and received her Bachelor’s Degree in composition. Her interest in examining the effects of art on society led her to pursue a Master’s Degree on the musical analysis of Mevlevi Music at Marmara University. She gave lectures on Turkish music and kanun playing techniques at Haliç University’s Turkish Music Conservatory and Istanbul University State Conservatory from 2001 until she moved to Canada in 2007.
Since 2017, she teaches kanun and turkish music at the Centre des Musiciens du Monde de Montreal.
Sareh Borna - Kamanche
Sareh Borna, a Montreal-based kamancheh player, combines her deep academic background in music with years of performance experience to preserve and evolve the traditions of this ancient instrument. Holding a Bachelor’s in kamancheh performance and a Master’s in ethnomusicology from Tehran University of Art, Sareh joins the Raha Ensemble to share melodies inspired by Iran’s struggles and hopes. Her performances, enriched by Persian poetry and heartfelt expression, celebrate the timeless beauty of the kamancheh while connecting audiences to the depth of Iranian culture.
Ziya Tabassian - Percussion
Renowned for his virtuosity and innovative approach to percussion, Ziya Tabassian, embarked on his musical odyssey at the age of ten, immersing himself in the resonant beats of the tombak, in Iran. His journey continued in Quebec, where he melded classical Western percussion with his Eastern roots, studying with Julien Grégoire between 1994 and 2001 and earning a Bachelor’s degree in interpretation from the Université de Montréal. A pivotal moment in Tabassian’s artistic evolution occurred during a transformative residency at The Banff Centre in 2003. Here, he seamlessly blended Iranian percussion with contemporary influences, a fusion that continues to define his distinctive sound.
Tabassian’s global pursuits led him to master classes with luminaries such as Bahman Rajabi, Aziz Alami, Trichy Sankaran, Mısırli Ahmet, Shree Sundarkumar, and Yogesh Samsi. His boundless curiosity and tireless exploration have made him a prominent figure in early music (medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque), contemporary and world music.
As a percussionist, Tabassian’s versatility shines through in collaborations with diverse musical groups, including the Regard Persan trio and Ensemble Caprice. His performances have graced stages in over 40 countries, earning acclaim in prestigious festivals and concert halls.
