Influential Iranian musician Mohammad Reza Lotfi died on May 2, 2014. He was one of the greatest contemporary masters of the tar and setar, two types of lutes used in Persian music.
Mohammad Reza Lotfi was born in 1947 in Gorgan, northern Iran. Stimulated by his elder brother, he learned to play the tar and displayed his talent by winning the first prize in Iran’s Young Musicians Festival in 1964. The following year, he began his studies at the National Conservatory in Tehran under Habibollah Salehi and Master Ali Akbar Shahnazi. While at the conservatory, he also studied western classical music and the violin which led to his collaboration with various orchestras under the direction of Hossein Dehlavi. Some of his other distinguished teachers were Abdollah Davami, from whom he learned the Radif, and Master Hormozi, who taught him the setar.
While attending the College of Fine Arts at Tehran University, Lotfi became the student of Master Nour-Ali Boroumand. He also worked at the Center for the Preservation and Propagation of Traditional Iranian Music, both as a soloist and a conductor. His other achievements were teaching at the Center for Intellectual Development of Children and Adolescents, researching folk music for National Radio and Television, and appearing at the Shiraz Arts Festival.
After graduating in 1973, Lotfi joined the faculty of Fine Arts at Tehran University. He continued his collaboration with Radio and Television and co-founded the Shayda Ensemble. Between 1978 and 1980, Lotfi became the Head of the School of Music at Tehran University. He served as the director of the Center for the Preservation and Propagation of Traditional Iranian Music and the Chavosh Conservatory.
In 1984 Lotfi was invited by Fondazione Cini to participate in a seminar and perform concerts in Italy where he lived for two years. He moved to the United States in1986 and performed widely throughout Asia, Europe, and North America. A prolific musician, he made numerous recordings both as a solo artist and with major Iranian musicians such as Mohammad Reza Shajarian, Shahram Nazeri, Hossein Alizadeh, and Parviz Meshkatian.
Lotfi was among the major figures that, in the past decades, revolutionized Persian traditional (classical) music. His innovative approach of combining the classical with folk elements, both in terms of music and technique, introduced a new vitality into a very old tradition. His original creativity and the deep-rooted emotional quality of his playing made him the father of a new aesthetics in Persian music.
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
