Sohrab Pournazeri joins Grammy Recording Academy

TEHRAN – The Iranian composer and musician Sohrab Pournazeri has become a member of the Recording Academy, the institution that organizes and oversees the annual Grammy Awards.

In a post on social media, he wrote: “I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Recording Academy for this recognition and trust. Joining the Recording Academy is a meaningful responsibility and a source of motivation for me to continue my journey in music. I hope this opportunity will open new paths for learning, collaboration, and contributing to the art of music. My heartfelt thanks to all my friends, colleagues, and everyone who has supported me along the way”.

Over the past few years, through the creation of numerous works, international concert performances, and collaborations with prominent global artists, Pournazeri has played an effective role in introducing Iranian music to the international stage, Honaronline reported.

He has now joined the ranks of the Recording Academy. His membership, beyond confirming his professional standing on the world stage, could serve as an effective platform for increasing the presence and visibility of Iranian music in the world’s most significant music event.

In addition to hosting the annual Grammy Awards, the Recording Academy is active in areas such as advocating for musicians’ rights, education, professional development, and cultural policy-making within the music industry, with its members playing a role in shaping the future of the field.

The Recording Academy is considered one of the most credible professional institutions in the global music industry. Its members consist of artists, composers, songwriters, arrangers, producers, audio engineers, and other music professionals from around the world.

Membership in this institution is granted through a specialized process based on professional track records, published works, and evaluations by expert committees. Qualified members of the academy also participate in the process of selecting nominees and winners for the annual Grammy Awards.

Sohrab Pournazeri, 43, is a virtuoso of tanbour, kamancheh, and setar, and stands as one of the pioneers in performing Iranian contemporary music.

His father, Kaykhosro Pournazeri, who founded the Shams Ensemble in 1980, is a respected composer and tanbur player in Iran. Sohrab joined the Shams Ensemble at the age of twelve, and since then, he has been captivating audiences through performances, recordings, and collaborations with world-class musicians globally.

Sohrab has followed in the footsteps of his musical family, yet has achieved distinct and idiosyncratic techniques that have rendered his method of playing into something entirely unprecedented. He also pursues vocalizing and composing with the same unique approach.

In the summer of 2017, Sohrab performed the ‘C Project’ for the first time alongside Homayoun Shajarian in Tehran’s historical Saadabad Palace Complex, a project he created with the aim of reviving the “wisdom” and old traditions of the Shahnameh (‘The Book of Kings’) for the young generation and familiarizing the audience with the roots of ancient Iranian culture and literature. In this project, Iranian musicians work alongside actors, artists, a film crew, and lighting and sound experts in order to create a unique multifaceted experience for the audience.

Sohrab is also well-versed in the regional music of his native Iran, as well as Western classical music, and holds a degree in Music Performance. As a soloist and vocalist, Sohrab has collaborated with artists and ensembles worldwide – including Shajarian, Shujaat Hussain Khan, the Beyond Borders Project, and the Pacific Symphony Orchestra.

In 2023, Sohrab was featured as a soloist in the inaugural concert of the Iranshahr Orchestra in Los Angeles, sharing the stage with Hila Plitmann.

SS/SAB