CAMS & ICFF 2026
A New Musical Collaboration at Canada’s Premier Film Festival
Canadian Asian Ensemble at the Lavazza IncluCity Festival in collaboration with ICFF Toronto
Presented by the Canadian Asian Music Society and sponsored by Garsha Foundation.
Date & Location
Saturday, July 18, 2026 – 7:30 PM
The Distillery Historic District, 55 Mill St, Toronto, Canada
About the Project – Earth Breathing
Earth Breathing is a musical project composed by Kianoush Khalilian, inspired by the deep connection between human beings and nature. In a world shaped by noise, speed, conflict, and environmental change, the project creates a space for reflection, stillness, and listening.
Through live performance, the music explores emotions shared across cultures: longing, memory, hope, silence, movement, and belonging. Influenced by natural elements such as wind, earth, water, and breath, the project invites audiences to reconnect with the emotional and spiritual relationship between people and the world around them.
Rather than focusing on one tradition or one place, Earth Breathing brings together different artistic voices to create an atmosphere that feels both ancient and contemporary. The result is an immersive and emotional experience that encourages presence, connection, and awareness through sound.
CAMS x ICFF: A Cultural Collaboration at Canada’s Leading Film Festival
We are pleased to announce a special collaboration between the Canadian Asian Music Society (CAMS) and the Italian Contemporary Film Festival (ICFF), one of Canada’s largest film festivals celebrating international cinema, diversity, and culture.
As part of the Lavazza IncluCity Festival 2026, the Canadian Asian Ensemble (CAE) will present a live performance at Toronto’s historic Distillery District, a landmark known for its cultural energy and vibrant atmosphere.
Italian Contemporary Film Festival
Lavazza IncluCity Festival 2026
About the Festival: Lavazza IncluCity & ICFF
Presented by Lavazza IncluCity Festival, the Italian Contemporary Film Festival (ICFF) is more than a celebration of international cinema. It is a month long open air cultural event that brings together film, music, food, and visual arts in the heart of Toronto.
Held each year at the Distillery Historic District, the festival welcomes thousands of visitors and transforms the historic cobblestone streets into a vibrant space for creativity, storytelling, and cultural exchange.
As one of Canada’s leading multicultural film festivals, Italian Contemporary Film Festival showcases films from around the world with a strong focus on diversity, inclusion, and community engagement. Through its IncluCity program, ICFF highlights underrepresented voices and builds bridges between artists from different cultures.
This collaboration between CAMS and ICFF reflects a shared mission to celebrate diversity, support intercultural collaboration, and connect communities through the arts.
Featured Artists
• Kianoush Khalilian – Ney & Composer
• Mehdi Rostami – Setar & Tanbour
• Ferhan Dogmusoz – Oud
• Felix Deák – Gamba
• Parnian Aghaiani – Viola
• Miead Nikfarjam – Daf
Rooted in tradition yet shaped by a contemporary vision, the Canadian Asian Ensemble presents music that reflects shared human experiences and today’s global realities, including cultural identity, environmental change, and the evolving role of tradition in modern life.
Their performance at the Lavazza IncluCity Festival offers a meaningful musical moment that invites reflection, connection, and celebration.
The Performance: Canadian Asian Ensemble
Live in Concert
At the center of this collaboration is the Canadian Asian Ensemble (CAE), the flagship ensemble of the Canadian Asian Music Society. CAE brings together accomplished musicians from diverse Asian musical traditions to create expressive and culturally rich performances that connect audiences across cultures and generations.
The Venue, The Distillery Historic District
Located in downtown Toronto, the Distillery Historic District is one of the city’s most iconic cultural landmarks. As a national historic site, it is known for its preserved 19th century architecture, cobblestone streets, and vibrant mix of galleries, shops, and cafes.
During the Lavazza IncluCity Festival, the Distillery District becomes a lively open air cultural space featuring film screenings, live performances, and immersive artistic experiences.
It offers a unique setting where music, film, and community come together in one of Toronto’s most atmospheric summer destinations.
About CAMS – Canadian Asian Music Society
The Canadian Asian Music Society (CAMS) is a Toronto based non profit organization founded in 2021 by Iranian Canadian ney player and composer Kianoush Khalilian. Its mission is to build cultural bridges through music by bringing together artists from diverse Asian traditions and Canadian communities.
CAMS is dedicated to:
• Cross cultural collaboration
• Preservation of traditional music
• Support for emerging artists
• Inclusive cultural education
• Global artistic exchange through music
The Canadian Asian Ensemble (CAE) is the core performing group of CAMS, representing its mission through live performance and artistic collaboration that connects cultures through sound and shared human experience.
Why This Matters
This performance is more than a concert. It is a cultural statement that brings together music, film, tradition, and innovation in one shared space.
At the Lavazza IncluCity Festival, one of Canada’s most important cultural events, artists and audiences come together in the heart of Toronto to experience global stories and sounds in an open and inclusive setting.
This collaboration highlights the voices and instruments of Asian musical traditions on a national stage, creating space for dialogue, connection, and shared artistic experience.
With gratitude to our sponsor for this project:
Mehdi Rostami
Mehdi Rostami is a Toronto-based musician, composer, and performer specializing in the Persian setar, tanbour, and shourangiz. Rooted in Iranian musical traditions while exploring new sonic possibilities, his artistic practice focuses on improvisation, cross-cultural collaboration, and contemporary approaches to Persian modal music.
He began studying setar in 1986 and has dedicated his life to performance, composition, improvisation, and music education. Through years of artistic exploration, Mehdi has developed a personal approach that combines the essence of Persian music with contemporary and intercultural collaborations.
Since moving to Canada, Mehdi has been active in Toronto’s diverse music scene through solo performances, collaborative projects, and international programs including the Silkroad Global Musician Workshop in Boston. Alongside performing, he also teaches Iranian music to students of different ages and backgrounds.
Ferhan Dogmusoz
Ferhan is a multi-instrumentalist (oud and jumbush) and composer from Türkiye, known for blending traditional sounds with innovative approaches and a deep mastery of improvisation.
He has performed globally, collaborated with renowned musicians, appeared on major radio and TV programs, and released several studio albums throughout his career.
Felix Deák
Cellist and gambist Felix Deák showcases his career as a freelance musician with chamber ensembles and orchestras. He performs and tours regularly with long standing Montreal-based gamba consort Les Voix Humaines, and Juno award winning ensemble L’Haromonie des Saisons. When he’s not in the kitchen, he’s on adventures with his dog Scout.
Parnian Aghaiani
Parnian Aghaiani is an accomplished violist based in Toronto, Canada.
With a deep passion for music, Parnian embarked on her musical journey at the age of 11 at the Tehran Music Conservatory. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Tehran University of Art. Parnian completed her Master’s degree in Music Literature & Performance at Western University of Ontario, where she was honored as a recipient of the Gordon Jeffery Strings and Chamber Music Graduate Award.
Parnian is a dedicated performer with extensive experience, having graced stages across Iran. She has been a regular member of prestigious orchestras like the Tehran Philharmonic Orchestra and the Iran National Orchestra. Parnian’s musical versatility shines through as she is not only a talented performer but also a skilled music educator. She is well-versed in teaching methods, including the Suzuki and RCM approaches, and has successfully taught both young children and adults.
Parnian’s commitment to her craft has earned her recognition, including a 2nd prize at the Iran Youth Music competition in 2016. She has had the privilege of learning from and collaborating with renowned artists such as Joseph Lanza, Marina Thibeault, and more.
Currently, Parnian is an active member of the Canadian Viola Society & American Suzuki Association.
Miead Nikfarjam
Miead Nikfarjam is a Reliability engineer and accomplished Daf (frame drum) player from Shahsavar, Iran. He began his journey with the Daf in 1999, developing a deep connection to the instrument and Persian rhythm. In 2006, he studied under Maestro Masoud Habibi, where he mastered rhythmic fundamentals and modern Daf techniques. After reaching an advanced level, he began training students and performing extensively. Miead has collaborated with renowned ensembles, performing at both local and international concerts. Now based in the U.S., he teaches the Daf at the University of Maryland and the greater DC metro area, sharing his passion for Persian music and rhythm with a new generation.
Kianoush Khalilian
Kianoush Khalilian is an award-winning Ney player and composer who began studying the Ney in 1990 under master musician Hassan Nahid in Tehran. Since then, Kianoush’s Ney has resonated across Asia, Europe, Canada, and the USA, with performances at renowned festivals such as San Lorenzo (Italy), Rencontres musicales de Conques (France), and the Toronto Jazz Festival. He has performed in countries including Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Mexico and many more. He has collaborated with leading ensembles, including the JUNO Award-winning Constantinople, the Montreal Symphony Orchestra (OSM), Opera Canada, and the Canadian Arabic Orchestra (CAO).
Kianoush has received multiple grants from Canadian arts funding bodies, including the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council, and the Toronto Arts Council, supporting his creative projects and contributions to cultural exchange. In 2023, he released Fly Again in Canada, an album rooted in traditional Persian Dastgahs, blending classical and contemporary elements to highlight the expressive power of the Ney and connect cultures through music.
Kianoush is the founder of CAE, the multicultural ensemble of the Canadian Asian Music Society (CAMS). Bringing together master musicians from across Asia, CAE creates cross-cultural works that address shared human concerns, especially environmental issues, through the universal language of music.
He also founded the Canadian Asian Music Society (CAMS), a Toronto-based organization that promotes cultural exchange through concerts, events, and education, highlighting the richness of Asian musical traditions and their connection to Canadian music.
Beyond the stage, Kianoush shares his expertise through teaching and has authored an instructional book on the Persian Ney. He has also served as a jury member in the World Music program at York University, contributing his deep knowledge of Iranian music to academic evaluation and mentorship.