Bowing to traditions

If familiarity breeds contempt, Kayhan Kalhor and Brooklyn Rider, appearing this weekend at Strings of Autumn, seem poised to remain in high regard.

This musical partnership combines elements from Europe and the Middle East into something wholly unique in contemporary music - a modern melding of traditions that honors rather than exploits its influences. Kalhor, an Iranian musician, is one of the world's masters of the kamancheh, a traditional Middle Eastern stringed instrument tuned like a violin with a darker timbre. Classically trained in both Eastern and Western music, Kalhor is something of a bridge between two worlds, though he wouldn't use those words.

"I see myself as an Iranian musician, and I am committed to my culture and my instrument. By incorporating elements of Western music, I am able to take my music to a wider audience," he tells The Prague Post.

Brooklyn Rider is a young string quartet with members from Israel and the United States. Violinist Colin Jacobsen is the group's primary composer, leading the group through a diverse range of styles, from classical to modern. The quartet, which includes two violinists, a violin cellist and a violist, first began playing with Kalhor as members of Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road Ensemble, a project seeking to unite the many musical traditions along the ancient trade route.

Kalhor says that playing with Brooklyn Rider has broadened his approach to music and challenged him in new ways, as has living in the United States, where he has been based for the past two decades. He is not the same musician he would have been if he had stayed in Iran, he says.

"Seeing the world has opened up my mind and taught me not to get sunk in my own tradition. Many traditional musicians feel their tradition is the best. I'm very much against this attitude," he says. "Music has no borders and no frontiers. We all need music and must share it."

Kalhor's instrument, the kamancheh, is something like a violin played upright on a spike. Kalhor originally studied the violin, but quickly switched to the smaller Iranian instrument. Some might consider the kamancheh, which is difficult to play because of the position in which it must be held and the fact that it must be rolled back and forth to bow a note, a significant limitation. Kalhor sees it differently.

"Musicians are limited; instruments are not. All instruments have developed over the years and have essentially expanded as our ideas about what can be done on the instruments have expanded. So I cannot blame my instrument for any limitations I might feel," he says.

But how does one combine the ancient Middle Eastern musical tradition with the more modern theoretical systems of European music? It seems there is no straightforward answer. When pressed to define the most significant differences between Eastern and Western music, Kalhor demurs, saying, "Music is the same everywhere."

"It's only the instruments and explanations that are different," he says. "Music making is an art and a cultural event. It doesn't make a difference what culture you're talking about. The sound may be different, but the objective is the same."

But Iranian culture would seem to impose stricter limits on its music than America or Europe. Considering that Iranian musicians live under a strict system of censorship, it is no wonder that Kalhor would embrace Western society, which allows its artists greater freedom. Nonetheless, Kalhor takes his role as an Iranian musician very seriously.

"Musicians in Iran are very limited, and they are not funded by the government, which makes it difficult," he says. "I didn't play in Iran for many years, until this past year, when there were the problems taking place there following the elections. I did a tour of 14 concerts in two months. I felt it was very important for me to be present there. Musicians must remind people that we are part of society."

Kalhor says he's looking forward to his visit to Prague, his first in 25 years of international touring. His performance with Brooklyn Rider will include pieces from Silent City, the group's 2008 recording, and the premiere of a new piece of music composed by Jacobsen. The group's performance is sure to bring a brilliant, unfamiliar flair to this diverse festival of music. 

Stephan Delbos can be reached at
sdelbos@praguepost.com