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The Ensemble ~ Musicians and collaborators

iya Tabassian – tombak, daf, def, dayereh, percussion

Ziya Tabassian started playing the tombak (a Persian percussion) at the age of 11. From 1994 to 2001 he studied classical percussion with Julien Grégoire in Montreal, and has completed a Bachelor degree in percussion interpretation at the Université de Montréal. During winter 2002, with the help of Quebec Art Council, Ziya went back to Iran for a tombak training with M. Bahman Rajabi. Recently, he completed a residency at the Banff Centre for the arts, where he explored the contemporary music on the Persian percussions.

He plays in several classical, modern and world music ensembles and is an active and a co-fonder member of both Constantinople (Middle Age and Renaissance music) and Duo Prémices (soprano & percussion). Ziya has performed in several concerts in Canada, the U.S. and Greece, notably at the World Music Institute in New York, the Yerba Buena Center in San Francisco, Megaron Mousikis in Athens and Chicago's World Music Festival.

Ziya was invited to participate in the recording of a new release by Kayhan Kalhor with the Kronos Quartet. Also, along with his brother Kiya, he has recorded a CD of Persian classical music entitled Garden of the Memory on the XXI-21 label. He has already three CDs with Constantinople on the ATMA label and recorded for many other productions, such with the Nouvel Ensemble Moderne and En Chordais.