Iranian Percussion Virtuoso In Australian Debut

Iranian percussion virtuoso Mohammad Reza Mortazavi will make his Australian debut in the intimate Utzon Room of the Sydney Opera House

Born in Isfahan and now based in Berlin, Mortazavi first took up the tombak – a Persian goblet drum – at the age of six, quickly surpassing his teacher and winning the highly prestigious annual Iranian Tombak competition aged nine.

Now considered one of the world’s leading hand drummers, Mortazavi has revolutionized contemporary tombak and daf playing, developing more than 30 new striking and finger techniques over the course of his career. Always unique, Mortazavi’s thrilling performances interweave improvisation with traditional and modern techniques in response to his surroundings and the energy of the room.

Mortazavi first gained prominence performing self-composed pieces in Tehran to sold-out crowds. Since then, he’s played to audiences around the world from Roskilde Festival in Denmark and World Music Festival in Shanghai to the Philharmonies of Berlin, Köln and Luxembourg. In his latest record, Yek (2017) – a 12” four-track collaboration with German producer Burnt Friedman – he pushes the envelope even further, crafting a network of danceable rhythms, up-tempo beats and trance-like textures with great virtuosity.

Tickets on sale to the general public, Thursday 6 June 2019, 9am AEST

Sydney Opera House presale beings Wednesday 5 June 2019, 9am AEST
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