Pourya Khademi Bio - www.MyViolin.org

Biography:

Pourya Khademi, professional violinist, brings a world of joy and lasting memories to your special events. Offering everything from traditional to popular Persian music, and Western Classical to Jazz, he will create the perfect mood for your events. Specializing in wedding ceremonies and anniversaries, bridal and baby showers, corporate and cultural events, private parties and memorials. Available worldwide!
(As a token of appreciation, Pourya offers a 10% referral commission.)

Born in Tehran in 1976, Pourya Khademi was introduced to the world of music by his father, renowned master of traditional Iranian violin, Alireza Khademi. At a time when music education was deemed immoral and banned by the Iranian government, Pourya's father took the risk of passing on the legacy of Persian music to his son. His family's commitment to human rights eventually forced them into exile, and they spent the next eight years in Germany. There Pourya studied Western classical music, joining both orchestras and choirs. He gave his first recital at age 11, accompanied by a full symphony orchestra and choir, performing works of Beethoven and Brahms. All-the-while, his father continued to share his art with Pourya, fostering and nurturing their Persian heritage far away from their homeland.

In 1994 his family moved to the US, where Pourya majored in music, now adding composition, orchestration, and conducting to his violin and vocal studies. Father and son continue to work together and have performed at many widely publicized concerts including the Los Angeles debut of the legendary Iranian singer Marzieh. Over the years, Pourya has developed his own style by bringing together classical orchestration and performance techniques with traditional Iranian music. He has composed for a wide range of dance performances, from Western modern dance to Eastern folkloric traditions. He is highly regarded for his improvisational skills on stage, and has collaborated with artists from across the world, showing audiences the beauty and magic that is possible when allowing different cultural heritages to blend and embrace one another. He has been described by Voice of America as a "breath of fresh air and a bridge between two civilizations historically at war with one another."
His career is devoted to creating peace, friendship, and acceptance, using art as the universal language of humanity.

In addition to his musical career, Pourya is currently a student at the University of California, Berkeley, majoring in political science and sociology. As part of his Honors Thesis, he will present an ambitious peace concert in the Spring of 2010 featuring various artistic disciplines from around the world. The program will include a unique and engaging dialogue between the audience and performers, exploring paths that lead to peace in our lifetime.