Qolamhossein Bigjekhani

Qolamhossein Bigjekhani

Qolamhossein Bigjekhani, also Qolam-Hossein Bigjeh-Khani, (1918 – April 13, 1987) was an Iranian musician and tar player. He was born in Tabriz.

He was an idiosyncratic stylist, and though he collaborated extensively with the Tabriz Radio and Television Corporation, his style differs from that known as "radio style". He was nourished by both Persian culture and art.

His art of tar playing is characterized by:

• extreme transparency and a detailed approach to moulding the musical phrases
• fast speed in fingering and plucking
• cultivated taste in balancing avazes and zarbis
• even tremolos and both hand vibrations
• fine sound-making even from low quality instruments
• using Azerbaijani zarbis in his performances
• using dayereh as an accompanying instrument
• fast plucking and various systems of plucking

He learned tar from his father, Hossein Qoli Bigjeh-Khani.

He left a number of recordings, mostly of Persian Dastgah music. He collaborated mainly with his old friend and Dayereh player M. Farnam. He also accompanied Mohammad-Reza Shajarian (most notably on a 40+ minute improvisation in Homayoon mode).^[1]

References

• Haghighat, A., Honarmandan e Irani az Aghaz ta Emrooz, Koomesh Publication, 2004, (in Persian)

• Mahoor Institute's A Century of Tar