Reza Ghassemi

Reza Ghassemi
Background information
Born	1949 Esfahan
Occupation	Vocalist
Instrument	Setar
Website	rezaghassemi.com

Reza Ghassemi (Persian: رضا قاسمی; born 1949) is an Iranian novelist and musician.

Life and career

Ghassemi was born in Isfahan, Iran. In addition to his writing activities, he plays classical Iranian music and the Persian lute, known as the setar. He has composed songs for the Iranian maestro Shahram Nazeri and performed with leading Iranian vocalists, such as maestri Mohammad Reza Shajarian and Sepideh Raissadat.

His best-known composition is the last track on the classical Iranian album Gol-e Sadbarg, released in 1984. The album also includes compositions from Jalal Zolfonoun, Shahram Nazeri and Reza Ghassemi.

Since he released Gol-e Sadbarg, the setar has gained popularity among Iranians, as Ghassemi and his two colleagues mentioned above began a new era in Iranian classical music.

Although he lived in France, Ghassemi has not given up teaching Iranian music. Farrokhzad Layegh has studied the setar with Mr. Ghassemi.

Reza Ghassemi's latest album, 14 Cheerful Pieces, featuring Iranian vocalist Sepideh Raissadat, was released in France on October 25, 2010, (by Buda Musique Records).

He has published three novels: Nocturnal Orchestra of Woods (1996), The Well of Babel (1999), and The Spell Chanted by Lambs (2002). [1] Some of his works have been translated into French. The Spell Chanted by Lambs is his first work in English. Reza Ghassemi has also directed an award-winning film, In Full Bloom (2019).

Awards

• 2002 Hooshang Golshiri Literary Award, Best First Novel, The Nocturnal Harmony[2][3]
• 2002 The writers and critical award
• 2002 PEKA Award
• 2010 The writers and critical award

Albums

• 14 Cheerful Pieces (rel. Oct. 2010)
• Dashti-Mahour (rel. 1992)
• Improvisation in Esfahan – Rast Panjgah
• Siavash Khani (Chahargah)
• Gol-e Sadbarg (rel. 1984)

Publications

• Reza Ghassemi, 1996 - Nocturnal Orchestra of Woods
• Reza Ghassemi, 1999 - The Well of Babel
• Reza Ghassemi, 2002 - The Spell Chanted by Lambs

See also

• List of Iranian writers
• List of Iranian musicians

References

1. Ghasemi, Reza (October 12, 2013). The Spell Chanted by Lambs. Translated by Mojib, Erfan (First ed.). Candle and Fog Ltd.
2. Shataw Naseri (June 5, 2014). "Houshang Golshiri Awards". The Parsagon Review. Retrieved July 5, 2015.
3. Syma Sayyah (December 13, 2002). "Winners of Golshiri Foundation's Second Annual Literary Awards Announced". Payvand Iran News. Retrieved February 25, 2013.

External links

• A critic (in farsi) of his latest album (14 Cheerful Pieces) with Sepideh Raissadat
• BBCPersian.com article on his life and works
• An interview with Ghassemi in Radio ZamanehGhassemi's personal website
• IMDb
• List of Reza Ghassemi's publications
• Brief Bio and Biblio in PARSAGON: The Persian Literature Review, Nov. 1, 2013.
• Nocturnal Harmony from The Wood Orchestra: A Persian Novel, Reza Ghassemi at goodreads