Mohammad Reza Mortazavi
"Watching the unbelievably virtuosic soloist, one could get the impression he does not have two but at least six hands." —Arte Magazine
We regret to announce that Iranian musician Mohammad Reza Mortazavi will not be able to travel to EMPAC for this performance due to visa-processing delays stemming from current federal immigration policy.
Respected from Tehran to Berlin to Shanghai, Mohammad Reza Mortazavi has dominated elite international competitions since the age of 9. Considered one of the most innovative and virtuosic hand drummers in the world, Mortazavi is most well-known for re-envisioning the traditional ways of playing the Tombak—an ancient Iranian goblet-shaped drum—and developing over 30 new striking and finger techniques, not always to the delight of old masters. Arte Magazine has commented that “watching the unbelievably virtuosic soloist, one could get the impression he does not have two but at least six hands."
Main Image: Mortazavi playing the Tombak. Photo: Courtesy the artist.