The ICTMD Talks are a series of lectures exploring different musical traditions and the cultures from which they originate. Each session focuses on a distinct style of music, its repertoire, and the regions associated with it. The talks are presented by experts from the arts, academia, or passionate enthusiasts of the specific music genre in question. The aim is to bring together a variety of perspectives to discuss music in the world, touching on performance contexts, the conditions under which these musical traditions have thrived, and the historical events that have shaped their evolution. 1st part : Musical instruments from the late Qajar period kept at the MIM In July 1911, more than three decades after he was appointed curator of the Musée Instrumental in Brussels, Victor-Charles Mahillon was writing the Foreign Office to seek authorization for the Belgian Consulate in Tehran to purchase a set of eight musical instruments from Khorasan. As only two other instruments from Iran had been previously acquired by the museum, these instruments appear to be the MIM’s first extensive Persian collection. Although modest in size, these artefacts from the late Qajar period prove to be of particular interest, whether in terms of their acquisition process or their organological features. This presentation will explore these two aspects in the light of the tumultuous political context surrounding the end of the Persian Constitutional Revolution. Fañch Thoraval holds a PhD in musicology (Paris-Sorbonne) and in social history (Ca’ Foscari). He was involved in various research projects led by several European Universities and is currently researcher at the INCAL-UCLouvain and project leader at MIM-MRAH (MaHiOn: A Material History of Otherness) where he is also responsible for the Asian and Oceanian. 2d part : Kurdish and Iranian Musical Traditions Kurdish music and Iranian classical music will be at the core of this presentation, with a particular focus on the differences between Kurdish maqam music and Iranian classical music. The history and development of Iranian instruments will be discussed, as well as aspects of Iranian folklore and how these musical traditions have changed and evolved over time. In a second stage, we will focus on Kurdish folkloric music and Kurdish religious and ritual music, exploring some of their characteristics and cultural contexts. Several pieces from Iranian classical music will be played, as well as a selection of Iranian folk songs and melodies from different regions of Iran to provide a direct musical illustration of the subjects discussed. Kourosh Ghazvineh comes from a region deeply rooted in the musical traditions of Kurdish Tanbur and Iranian maqam music. He has dedicated a significant part of his career to teaching and transmitting maqam, improvisation, repertoire, traditional performance techniques, and the cultural contexts of Kurdish and Iranian music. He has taught and performed internationally and has been closely associated with the Labyrinth Musical Workshop in Greece. Ghazvineh has also contributed to the preservation and transmission of the Tanbur tradition through the publication of a Tanbur method book in Kurdistan. Sounds of the Cities invites you to discover the musical cultures of migrant communities in Antwerp and Brussels from 2026 to 2028. In the autumn of 2026, we’ll turn our focus to the rich musical traditions of Iran in numerous events. Sounds of the Cities is a collaboration between Muziekpublique, MIM, Muziekmuseum Vleeshuis and vzw Wesp / Merodefestival, with the support of the Flemish Government. You can find all events on klankenvandesteden.be Ticket holders are entitled to visit the MIM exhibitions after the performance, only on the day of the talk.
ICTMD-talk | Music and Instruments in Iran
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