Canadian Asian Ensemble Concert

Presented by the Canadian Asian Music Society

📅 June 20, 2025
🕗 8:30 PM
📍 The Salvation Army – Yorkminster Citadel
1 Lord Seaton Rd, North York, ON, Toronto, Canada

About the Project

Pezhvak, meaning echo in Persian, is more than a concert—it is a journey into the emotional and spiritual depths of music. Rooted in the rich traditions of Persian classical music and shaped by contemporary influences, the project moves fluidly between composition and improvisation, structure and spontaneity.

Performed by the Canadian Asian Ensemble, Pezhvak seeks to reflect the echoes of our shared human experience. Through delicate modal improvisations, powerful rhythms, and poetic melodies, the music speaks of love, loss, resilience, and the enduring beauty of the human spirit. It is a voice for hope—a reminder that in times of disconnection and uncertainty, art can restore meaning and bring people together across cultures and borders.

Pezhvak is not only a tribute to musical heritage, but also a heartfelt expression of humanity, offering a space for contemplation, connection, and collective memory.

On Stage:

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

Concert Program:

Introduction
Baran – Vocal Piece
Barbat & Piano Duet
Hayahoo – An improvised vocal Piece
Karavan – Vocal Piece
Percussion Duet
Parastoo – Vocal Piece
Aftab-e Nimeh shab – Instrumental Piece
Ney & Barbat Duet
Dar Saraye Tanhaei – Instrumental Piece

Canadian Asian Ensemble (CAE)

CAE is the multicultural ensemble of the Canadian Asian Music Society (CAMS), uniting master musicians from diverse Asian traditions. Through deeply rooted yet innovative cross-cultural collaborations, CAE creates powerful musical experiences that transcend borders and speak to the heart of shared human concerns—most notably, the urgent challenges of environmental change. Their work harnesses the universal language of music to inspire reflection, dialogue, and connection across cultures.

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.

Join Us for an Unforgettable Evening

Be part of a powerful musical experience that transcends borders, generations, and genres. Pezhvak is a celebration of sound, soul, and shared humanity—woven through the artistry of the Canadian Asian Ensemble.

Reserve your seat now and witness this unique fusion of Persian classical music and contemporary improvisation live in Toronto.