Mostafa Taleb | |
|---|---|
| Born | 18 November 1993 Khorramabad, Iran |
| Genres | Traditional music, world music composition, fusion music composition |
| Occupation(s) | Musicians kamancheh player, composer |
| Instrument | Kamancheh |
| Years active | 2012 – present |
Mostafa Taleb (born November 18, 1993) is an Iranian kamancheh player and composer currently based in Brussels.[1]
Originally from Lorestan, Iran, he studied music, architecture, and theater before moving to Europe in 2016. Taleb is celebrated for his mastery of the kamancheh, an ancient Persian bowed string instrument, which he pushes to its artistic limits by incorporating both traditional and modern techniques.[2]
His passion for Persian classical music and folk traditions led him to study at Iran's Azar Mehr Folklore Academy and the Kamkarha Academy for Classical Persian Music.[3][2]
He collaborates extensively with European and Persian musicians, blending Persian traditional music with European baroque traditions. He has co-founded several ensembles such as Argha/Nun and Illumination. His albums are Unity (solo) and Chapelle de verre (Duet with Violinist Ananta Roosens).[4][5] He regularly performs in Europe, showcasing Persian music at major festivals.[6] He also established "About that Magic Circle,"[7] a project that fuses various cultural sounds, and worked on the soundtrack for films like Always There is No One with Mansur Azizi.[2]
Mostafa Taleb collaborated with Swiss composer Simon Ho to create a musical score for a silent film as part of the Silent Film Festival in Ghent, Belgium. This project, titled "Egged On," was part of the Cinemaximiliaan Silent Film project, which aims to bring together artists from diverse backgrounds to reinterpret silent films with live music performances.[8][2]
Taleb is also involved in theater and film projects, composing music for movies and plays, and is particularly known for his work with the legendary viola player Jordi Savall.[2] Mostafa Taleb is the first Iranian musician invited by the renowned maestro Jordi Savall to collaborate in various cultural exchange projects since 2017. He has been an active member of multiple groups, including Orpheus XXI, ORIENT – OCCIDENT 1200 – 1700, From Orient to Occident, and Marco Polo project.[9][6] Additionally, Taleb is part of the Orpheus XXI Artist Directory in Brussels, in collaboration with the Muziekpublique company.[10] His work in these ensembles reflects a deep intercultural dialogue, blending Eastern and Western musical traditions under the direction of Jordi Savall.[11] One of the notable performances in this collaboration is the project "From Orient to Occident with Jordi Savall", featured in the 2022 documentary titled De l'Orient à l'Occident - Jordi Savall, A Musical Voyage. This concert series explores the journey of musical heritage from the East to the West.[12][3]
Entering the world of theater, he joins the cast of Lisaboa Houbrechts’ new play, “Bruegel”, in 2019. Along with the harpsichordist and organist Jerome Bertier and the singers of the French choir Harmonia Sacra, he elaborated the soundtrack of this audacious play that has toured Western Europe since then.[13]