Ostad Morteza
Varzi
30
December 1922 – 3 January 2004
Ostad (master) Morteza Varzi was born
in Tehran, Iran on 30 December 1922.
He started his music lessons on the violin at age 15 with the Ney-Davoud brothers, two of the greatest Persian instrumentalists of the twentieth century. After his father advised him to play music on a traditional Persian instrument, he began studying setâr with master Nasratollah Zarrin Panjeh, and kemence with master Ali-Asghar Bahari.
After finishing college with a degree
in economics, Mr. Varzi was employed by the Iranian government, traveling
throughout the world, conducting official business in Japan, the Philippines,
India, China, the UK, and the United States.During
his official duties, he represented the Iranian government at forums such
as the CENTO Symposium on Decentralization of Government.
He undertook post-graduate studies in
Finance and Personnel Management in the United States, and in Public Administration
in the UK.
Later, after attaining high office at the Iranian State Railroad and at the Iranian Ministry of the Interior (where his posts included Governor of the Province of Sari, Director of Planning and Studies, Director General of Plans and Studies, Director General of Organization and Method, Consultant to the Minister of the Interior, and Executive Director of the Iran Municipal Association), he spent his free time collecting Iranian musical recordings, and researching Persian classical and folkloric music.
In 1970, Mr. Varzi took up residence
in the United States, promoting Persian music and culture, and instructing
both Iranians and Americans in the Persian classical musical repertoire. To
this end, he founded the non-profit Institute of Persian Performing Arts
in 1985. He was also the founder
of the Bâhâri (with Peggy Caton, Robyn Friend, Massoud
Modirian, and Neil Siegel) and Oshâgh (with Kazem Alemi, Mr.
Tehrani, and Reza Torshizi) musical ensembles. In
1986, he was recognized by the United States National Endowment for the
Arts as a master teacher and performer.
He had hundreds of students – learning
kemenche,
setâr,
târ, radif (Persian repertoire), Persian singing, Persian classical
poetry – who came to study with him from all over the world.He
also provided many opportunities for his students to meet and work with
other masters of Persian music.
Ostad Varzi died in Tehran, Iran, on
3 January 2004 (13th of Dey Maahe 1382), shortly after his 81st
birthday. Read an appreciation of Ostad
Morteza Varzi by one of his students.
Read
about Ostad Varzi's translations of Hafez (in collaboration with Dr.
Margaret Caton)
