(Halifax/Kjipuktuk, NS) Leaf Music, double bassist Ali Kian Yazdanfar and pianist Brigitte Poulin announce the upcoming release of their new recording, Sayeh-Roshan in digital and physical formats (LM301). Sayeh-Roshan (Persian for “chiaroscuro”) features contemporary compositions reflecting on how a layered identity (in this case, Persian Canadian), can enrich one’s perspective. Chiaroscuro signifies the interaction of light and shadow and is interpreted here as the interplay between competing ideas and perspectives, and between tradition and modernity. The works commissioned specifically for this project were composed in 2022 by Amir Eslami, Reza Vali and Parisa Sabet with this concept in mind, and are interspersed with traditional Iranian works for kamancheh and tombak, featuring musicians Behnoosh Behnamnia and Bamdad Fotouhi.
The three new works paint a multifaceted and complex portrait of the possibilities of the double bass and piano. The images range from the more traditionally inspired yet thoroughly modern Sallaneh (Amir Eslami) to the evocative yet playful His Gabbah is Turquoise (Parisa Sabet), an homage to the fathers of both the composer as well as Ali Kian Yazdanfar, and finishing with the kaleidoscopic theatricality of Laylâ, Folk Songs Set #18, (Reza Vali), where the performers’ singing, whistling, and speaking leads the listener on a grand tour with references to classical poetry, beloved stories, and popular song. In addition to a short work Ballade for solo double bass by Behzad Ranjbaran, the kamancheh and tombak present three selections which tie together the works for double bass and provide the contrasts and juxtaposition central to the themes of Sayeh-Roshan.
Ali Kian Yazdanfar maintains an active career not only as principal double bass of the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, but also as a soloist, chamber musician, and pedagogue. Although he started playing bass at age seven, his science and mathematics background led to a physics degree from The Johns Hopkins University. Directly upon graduating, he won his first audition, becoming a member of the Houston Symphony, and went on to win his next three auditions, for the National Symphony in Washington, D.C., for principal bass with the San Francisco Symphony, and for principal bass with the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal.
His album of solo and duo works with violist Frederic Lambert, Iridescence, was released in 2023 on the Leaf Music label. Taking inspiration from his Iranian roots, he has also commissioned and performed many new works for solo double bass, including not only this project, but also the world premiere in 2018 of a new bass concerto by Behzad Ranjbaran. Ali is an associate professor at the Schulich School of Music of McGill University and presents masterclasses during the summer at Orford Music in Québec. Other regular and past collaborations include both the National Youth Orchestras of Canada and the United States, National Orchestral Institute, and Le Domaine Forget.
Montreal-based pianist Brigitte Poulin is an accomplished soloist, chamber musician, accompanist, and teacher whose repertoire spans from the invention to the deconstruction of the piano. In addition to this recording, she is set to release her new solo recording of György Kurtág: Játékok. Her notable collaborations include Les Noces with the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal under Kent Nagano, Pierrot lunaire with Patricia Kopatchinskaja, and chamber performances with Annalee Patipatanakoon, Lynn Harrell, and Silvia Mandolini. She teaches at McGill University’s Schulich School of Music, is a longtime faculty member at Orford Musique, and appears on recordings for Leaf Music, Naxos, ATMA Classique, and Dame.
Behnoosh Behnamnia performs on both kamancheh and violin; her work includes traditional Iranian repertoire, electronic music and experimental projects. Tombak and daf player Bamdad Fotouhi is a member of An Trio Ensemble based in Toronto, where he continues to perform, teach and develop new educational resources for Iranian percussion.
The album was recorded in Montreal and Toronto in 2024 and 2025 with assistance from the Canada Council for the Arts and the Conseil des Arts et Lettres du Québec (CALQ). Listen to Sayeh-Roshan on your favourite streaming platform (also available as a physical CD).
Leaf Music is an independent recording label based in Halifax, Nova Scotia and Nashville, Tennessee, making and distributing high-quality classical music recordings by artists and composers from across North America. Our growing catalogue of solo, orchestral, and chamber music is distributed by Naxos of America to the world’s most important music retailers, download providers, and streaming services. Leaf is also a provider of professional audio and video production, post-production services, and integrated music marketing and distribution in North America.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
For more information/photos or to arrange interviews, please contact Peggy Walt, peggy@leaf.music
(902) 422-5403 (office) or (902) 476-1096 (cell).
