Extending String Quartet: Iran's rich musical heritage

The young Dutch Animato Kwartet is making international headlines thanks to the musicians’ inspired playing. This afternoon, together with Khorshid Dadbeh, the quartet performs a brand-new work for string quartet and the ancient string instrument tanbur by Iranian-Dutch composer Aftab Darvishi. The pure harmonies of Monteverdi, Dutilleux’s night music and Golijov's baroque bass lines frame this newcomer.

The tanbur is a more than a thousand-year-old stringed instrument with deep, historical roots in Iran. The instrument has evolved over the centuries, with variations in design and playing techniques, but it has always remained a symbol of Iran’s rich musical heritage. Kurdish soloist Khorshid Dadbeh is open to experimentation and loves to improvise. This makes her the perfect tanbur player for Darvishi’s new work.