Nodira Pirmatova, Mirgiyos Mukhitdinov & Kiya Tabassian

UZBEKISTAN, IRAN

In Uzbekistan, at the centre of sedentary Central Asia, Nodira Pirmatova is among the best-known performers of popular classic. Trained in both traditional music and opera singing, Pirmatova accompanies herself on the dutar and brings exquisite vocal control and intensity to the performance of katta ashula, a traditionally a cappella vocal genre, as well as classical Maqam songs.

Nodira Pirmatova | Uzbekistan | dutar and vocals

Mirgiyos Mukhitdinov | Uzbekistan | doyra

Kiya Tabassian | Iran |  sétar and vocals

Uuriintuya Khalivan & Sadaf Amini

MONGOLIA,  IRAN

Uuriintuya Khalivan (Mongolia) and Sadaf Amini (Iran) met in Montreal, sparking a musical journey at the Silk Roads’ crossroads. They blend their unique musical backgrounds, creating harmonious melodies that celebrate diversity and unity. With the morin-khuur (horsehead fiddle) and santur (hammered dulcimer), together, they weave melodies, like threads of silk, reminiscent of desert and steppe roads, echoing the timeless magic of the Silk Road. 

Uuriintuya Khalivan | Mongolia | Morin-Khuur

Sadaf Amini | Iran | santour

Erkan Oğur, the inventor of the fretless guitar, is a critically acclaimed guitarist whose influence extends beyond international borders. His collaboration with Ismail Hakkı Demircioğlu, a master of the strings, has been hailed for its artistic alchemy and deeply emotional performances. The duo’s repertoire includes a mix of old and more recent Anatolian folk songs, described as “a joint attempt to remember” the soulful melodies of their homeland.

For over twenty years, Oğur and Demircioğlu have been breathing new life into Anatolian songs, blending traditional instruments like the saz and bağlama lute with the modern sounds of fretless guitar. Their collaborations have resulted in several acclaimed albums and concerts worldwide, drawing on musical traditions dating back to the 14th century.