CAMS & ICFF

Collaboration at Canada’s Largest Film Festival – IncluCity 2025

Canadian Asian Ensemble at the Lavazza IncluCity Festival, in collaboration with the Italian Contemporary Film Festival (ICFF) – Toronto, Canada

Presented by the Canadian Asian Music Society

Date & Location
Saturday, June 28, 2025 – 4:30 PM
The Distillery Historic District, 55 Mill St, Toronto, Canada

Canadian Asian Ensemble

A Cross-Cultural Journey Through Music

CAMS x ICFF: A Cultural Milestone at Canada’s Largest Film Festival

We are thrilled to announce an extraordinary collaboration between the Canadian Asian Music Society (CAMS) and the Italian Contemporary Film Festival (ICFF)—recognized as Canada’s largest film festival celebrating international cinema, diversity, and culture.

As part of the prestigious Lavazza IncluCity Festival 2025, CAMS’s multicultural ensemble, CAE, will deliver a soul-stirring live performance at Toronto’s iconic Distillery Historic District, one of the most atmospheric and culturally vibrant locations in the country.

About the Festival: Lavazza IncluCity & ICFF

Presented by ICFF, the Lavazza IncluCity Festival is not only a celebration of international film—it’s a month-long open-air cultural experience that brings together film, music, food, and art in the heart of Toronto.

Held annually in the Distillery Historic District, the festival attracts tens of thousands of attendees, transforming the cobblestone streets into a vibrant hub of creativity, cinematic brilliance, and multicultural dialogue.

As Canada’s largest multicultural film festival, ICFF presents top-tier cinema from across the globe, with a strong focus on diversity and community engagement. Through its IncluCity initiative, ICFF champions inclusivity by amplifying voices from underrepresented cultures and collaborating with artists from across the world.

This partnership between CAMS and ICFF aligns two powerful missions: to celebrate diversity, foster intercultural collaboration, and connect communities through the arts.

Italian Contemporary Film Festival

Lavazza IncluCity Festival 2025

The Performance: Canadian Asian Ensemble

Live in Concert

At the heart of this collaboration is CAE, the signature ensemble of the Canadian Asian Music Society. CAE brings together master musicians from across Asian traditions to craft deeply emotional and culturally resonant performances that transcend borders and generations.

Featured Artists

Hossein Behroozinia – Barbat
Maziar Heidari – Piano
Pedram Bolourchi – Vocals & Tonbak
Dhaivat Jani – Drums & Tabla
Kianoush Khalilian – Ney

With a performance rooted in heritage yet visionary in scope, CAE’s music speaks to shared human experiences and contemporary global challenges—especially those tied to environmental change, cultural identity, and the power of tradition.

Their performance at the Lavazza IncluCity Festival will be a unique musical moment that invites reflection, unity, and celebration.

The Venue, The Distillery Historic District

Located in downtown Toronto, the Distillery Historic District is one of the city’s most treasured cultural landmarks. A national historic site, it features beautifully preserved 19th-century architecture, charming cobblestone lanes, and a lively atmosphere filled with art galleries, boutiques, and cafes.

During the IncluCity Festival, the Distillery District transforms into a cinematic village where visitors can experience open-air screenings, live performances, and immersive cultural showcases under the stars.

There is truly no better place to experience the fusion of film and music, and no better time than summer in Toronto.

About CAMS – Canadian Asian Music Society

The Canadian Asian Music Society (CAMS) is a Toronto-based non-profit organization founded by Iranian-Canadian Ney player and composer Kianoush Khalilian in 2021. Our mission is to build cultural bridges through music, uniting artists from diverse Asian backgrounds and Canadian communities.

CAMS promotes:

Cross-cultural collaboration
Preservation of traditional music
Support for emerging artists
Inclusive cultural education
Global artistic dialogue through music

Our ensemble CAE is the living embodiment of this mission, creating meaningful connections through sound, story, and shared humanity.

Why This Matters

This performance isn’t just a concert—it’s a statement.
It’s a celebration of how music and cinema, tradition and innovation, and cultures from East and West can come together in Canada’s most iconic summer arts festival.

As Canada’s largest international film and culture event, the Lavazza IncluCity Festival offers an unmatched platform for the voices, instruments, and stories of Asia to shine brightly on a national stage.

Hossein Behroozinia

Hossein Behroozinia is a renowned master of the classical barbat. Starting his musical education at the Tehran Conservatory at age nine, he studied both Western and Persian classical music. In 2006, he was awarded the First Order of Arts by Iran’s Ministry of Culture. As a composer, musician, and scholar, Behroozinia has toured internationally for over 45 years, performing more than 2,000 concerts worldwide.

He has received several accolades, including the JPF Nashville Award and the French Ministry of Culture honours.

Behroozinia’s contributions to Persian classical music and his international performances have established him as a prominent figure in the world of traditional music.

Maziar Heidari

Iranian-Canadian conductor, composer, and pianist Maziar Heidari has significantly impacted Canada’s community music scene. A Master of Composition graduate from the Art University of Tehran, Maziar has served as composer, conductor, and pianist with the Iran National Music Orchestra. Relocating to Toronto in 2010, he earned a MMus in Conducting from the University of Toronto and has held prominent conducting positions with Orchestra Toronto, Hart House Orchestra, and the University of Toronto Symphony Orchestra. He also served as Lead Conductor of the Kawartha Youth Orchestra from 2022 to 2024, and currently holds the title of Conductor Emeritus.

Maziar’s accolades include the Tirgan Festival trophy, an RBC Top 25 Canadian Immigrant award, and the Canada 150 Medal. As co-founder of the Iranian-Canadian Composers of Toronto (ICOT) and Music Director, his leadership earned him a position as a judge for the JUNO Awards.

Heidari Music, founded in 2014, is Maziar’s Toronto-based music school. As an active freelance educator, Examiner for the Royal Conservatory of Music, and member of ORMTA and CFMTA, Maziar is deeply involved in music education. With numerous published compositions and performances in ensembles worldwide, Maziar serves as an associate composer with the Canadian Music Centre, a professional member of SOCAN, and a board member of Orchestra Toronto.

Pedram Bolourchi

A dedicated and accomplished Iranian musician, Pedram Bolourchi holds a BA in Music specializing in Iranian instrument performance. A lifelong student of the Tonbak, hebegan training in 1988 under the legendary Maestro Bahman Rajabi and later became the sole student of Maestro Jahangir Malek. With extensive experience as a vocalist since 1997, Pedram studied vocal techniques under Mohsen Keramati and Mehdi Fallah. As a Tonbak instructor since 1993, he has guided many students in mastering traditional Iranian rhythms. In addition to numerous solo and ensemble performances, Pedram has led the Golha music group, performing across Iran and internationally in countries such as France, Sweden, India, and South Africa. Recognized with a Grade 1 Artistic Degree by the House of Music of Iran, Pedram has collaborated with celebrated maestros, including Farhang Sharif and Anoushiravan Rohani. He is also the founder and leader of the “Mehriyan music group”, established in 2016, and has contributed to multiple acclaimed albums as both a Tonbak player and vocalist. His artistic achievements have been highlighted in notable publications such as Memorable Faces by Forough Bahmanpourand The Image of Iranian Artists by Nasirifar, reflecting a lifelong dedication to the preservation and innovation of Iranian music.

Dhaivat Jani

Dhaivat Jani is a Toronto-based, award-winning drummer, tabla player, and composer from Ahmedabad, India. He began his musical journey at age five, focusing on Indian classical music, and achieved his tabla Visharad at 16, earning three gold medals. A Humber College graduate with a Bachelor of Music, Dhaivat has called Toronto home since 2018.

In 2023, Dhaivat released his debut album Sum // Parts with his contemporary jazz ensemble, Dhaivat Jani PLUS, earning acclaim from notable outlets like All About Jazz, Paris Move, and Jazz.FM91. Beyond leading his ensemble, Dhaivat collaborates as a sideman, transitioning fluidly between drums and tabla in a wide range of genres. His recent collaborations include work with renowned artists such as Pat LaBarbera, Hamid Motebassem, Kiran Ahluwalia, Roberto Occhipinti, Rez Abbasi, Mike Downes, and Adam Rudolph.

Dhaivat’s creativity includes multimedia collaborations such as “Transmigrations,” with software artist Ryan Kelln, exploring technological transformations and AI through art, and “Offerings at Ishpadinaa,” featuring site activations by Nova Dance at the Spadina Museum, which explored reclamations of resistance and joy, inspired by cultures impacted by colonialism.

His talent has been recognized through numerous awards, including the Nuit Blanche Fellowship in 2021 and the Intercultural & Creative Music Fellowship with the Aga Khan Museum in 2022. Other honors include the CCRT Scholarship from the Government of India, the Yamaha Music Canada Award, and the Jazz.FM91 Award. Dhaivat’s vision is to push creative boundaries, blending various art forms while keeping music at the heart of his work.

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.