Amir Amiri
Calgary 51° 2' 44.18" N, 114° 3' 27.15" W Arts Music Person
Amir Amiri was born in Tehran, Iran where much of his youth was spent studying the santur, a 72-string hammer dulcimer that lies at the heart of Persian classical music.
He also studied Indian classical music with some of the masters, including Ravi Shankar and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. While he is classically trained, Amiri has always sought to explore the limits of his music, stretching beyond the constraints of classical thought.
Arriving in Canada in 1996, Amiri found the ability to do just that, while in residency at The Banff Centre for the Arts, a haven of inspiration to which he has returned many times. While exploring the limits of his music, he has found that there are none.
Amiri has worked with Bob Becker, Edgar Meyer and David Takeno as well as jazz greats Hugh Fraser, Darcy Phillip Gray, Mike Murley and John Stetch. Amiri has worked extensively as a percussionist, composer, musical director and consultant for numerous Canadian dance and theatre companies, most notably:
- Alberta Ballet
- VIA Dance Ensemble
- Decidedly Jazz Danceworks
- University of Calgary Dance Program
- The Banff Centre Theatre Arts Program
- Manitoba Theatre for Young People
- Vertigo Theatre in Alberta
- Theatre Sortie de Secours, Montreal and Quebec
- National Art Centre
In 2003, Amiri was awarded Artist of the Year from CBC Galaxie Rising Stars. He is a recipient of the Betty Mitchell Award for original sound design for “Helens Necklace”.
Amir has been recorded for feature films, most notably, "Cooking with Stella", “Green Revolution” and numerous French television documentaries.
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