Iran, Arts and Media, 2025
Saeid
Shanbehzadeh
The Iranian musician and dancer Saeid Shanbehzadeh combines the traditional music of southern Iran, especially from the Bushehr region, with contemporary sounds in a unique way. He is a master of the ney-anban (a type of bagpipe) and the ney-jofti (double-reed pipe) as well as traditional percussion instruments such as the damam and the zarb. Since the 1980s, Shanbehzadeh has presented his special fusion of different styles and musical traditions to a worldwide audience in countless performances at international festivals and in numerous collaborations with other musicians, composers and filmmakers. Shanbehzadeh also conducts music sociological research on Iran’s musical heritage and holds lectures, workshops and master classes in which he sheds light on the historical and cultural context of this music.
In March and April 2025, Saeid Shanbehzadeh is Artist in Residence at HELLERAU – European Center for the Arts. His residency is made possible by a grant from the DAAD Arts and Media Program, funded by the German Federal Foreign Office.
