Ghasem Rahimzadeh

Ghasem Rahimzadeh Ilkhchi is a distinguished Iranian musician, composer, and educator whose artistry bridges performance, research, and pedagogy.
He began studying music in 1990, first learning the tanbur under the guidance of his father. In 1996, he pursued the tar with Arvin, and by 2002 he entered the College of Fine Arts, University of Tehran, where he deepened his understanding of Persian classical music under the mentorship of Dariush Pirniakan, Hooshang Zarif, Dariush Talai, Majid Kiani, and Mohammad-Reza Lotfi.

Rahimzadeh’s extensive study includes the classical instrumental Radifs (by Mirza Abdollah, Mirza Hossein-Qoli, and Mousa Maroufi), the vocal Radif (by Abdollah Davami), and the advanced Shahnazi Radif.
In the field of Iranian music theory, he benefited from the guidance of Mohammad-Reza Darvishi, Mohsen Hajarian, and Homayoun As’adi, while his studies in Western classical theory were with Alireza Mashayekhi, Azin Movahed, and Shahin Farhat.

Rahimzadeh has been recognized with numerous awards celebrating his mastery of Persian classical performance, including First Prize in Tar Performance at the Fajr Music Festival, the Selected Tar Player Award at the Youth Festival (2003), Best Ensemble Award with the Javan Ensemble at the Fajr Music Festival (2009), and the Barbad Award at the 3rd Fajr Music Festival in the Instrumental Dastgah Music category for the album Avaz-e Roud. These honors reflect his exceptional artistry, precision, and deep understanding of Iran’s classical music traditions.

Throughout his career, Rahimzadeh has performed and recorded with some of Iran’s most renowned ensembles and masters, including Mohammad-Ali Kiani-Nejad’s Javan Ensemble, Dariush Pirniakan’s Shahnazi Ensemble, and Ardeshir Kamkar’s Ensemble. His performances span numerous festivals and recordings both within Iran and internationally, highlighting his command of the Radif repertoire and his expressive approach to improvisation. As an educator, he has taught tar, setar, ensemble performance, Iranian classical theory, and principles of improvisation at major universities across Iran (including Tehran, Kurdistan, Shiraz, Bandar Abbas, and Zanjan) and has led specialized workshops on performance and improvisation throughout the country. He has also served as a jury member for several prestigious festivals, including multiple editions of the National Youth Music Festival and the Simorgh Festival, helping shape the next generation of Iranian musicians.

His discography includes Avaz-e Roud (a tar–kamancheh duet with Kambiz Ganjei), winner of the Barbad Award, and Ay Beniz, a tar–kamancheh–dayereh trio featuring Kambiz Ganjei and Vahid Asadollahi. He is currently preparing several major projects, including new recordings of the Radifs of Mirza Hossein-Qoli, Mirza Abdollah, Advanced Shahnazi, and Abdollah Davami, and is the author of Daily Exercises for Tar – Volume 1 and Collection of Pieces – Volume 1, with additional volumes forthcoming.

CambiataArt Records proudly presents Azarnava Vol. I and Azarnava Vol. II, two landmark recordings featuring Ghasem Rahimzadeh and Vahid Asadollahi. Centered on the rich tradition of Rengs of Azerbaijan, these albums revive and reinterpret a collection of rare and authentic dance pieces deeply rooted in Iranian and Azerbaijani musical heritage. Azarnava Vol. I focuses on the Bayat-e Shiraz mode, offering an intricate dialogue between tar and dayereh, while Vol. II expands the musical journey into new rhythmic and modal territories. Together, they form a vibrant documentation of this enduring tradition, reflecting Rahimzadeh’s profound musicianship and CambiataArt Records’ commitment to preserving and presenting the living legacy of Persian and Azerbaijani classical music.