30. October 2024

Musikzimmer: Trio SeZeh

Trio SeZeh in der Villa 102

The Trio SeZeh (Farsi: three string instruments) presents the unique sound of string instruments in a very unusual way - with the Persian spiked violin kamanche, a viola played in the tradition of Arabic music and the Central European cello. In this special line-up, Alireza Meghrazi (kamanche), Rabie Azar (viola) and Anka Hirsch (cello) play music ranging from Bach to the Beatles, from Persian and Arabic music to jazz. The focus is on transcultural original compositions and arrangements in which traditional and classical Arabic and Persian music and jazzy improvisation meet classical string sounds.

Instrumentation:
Alireza Meghrazi, kamanche
Rabie Azar, viola
Anka Hirsch, violoncello

Alireza Meghrazi Solouklou first began playing the violin, then learned the kamanche and studied harmony, composition and solfège. He has appeared on radio and television and has played in renowned Iranian orchestras, among others. Alireza Meghrazi Solouklou was honoured as the best kamanche player at the Tehran Music Festival and as the best composer at the Folk Music Festival. He has also released several music albums, including Aghaie Sama, Zarchon baharan, Norouznamak and Shooride.

Rabie Azar studied viola in Damascus and is trained in classical European, traditional and classical Arabic music as well as contemporary pop music. He was a member of the Syrian National Orchestra, the National Syrian Orchestra of Arabic Music and the Mediterranean Orchestra, among others. International tours have taken him to Spain, Italy, Turkey, Morocco, Tunisia, Jordan, Lebanon and the Arab Emirates. Rabie Azar has also taught violin and viola at Al Baath University in Homs and the Sulhi al Wadi Institute for Music in Damascus. He is a founding member, composer and arranger of the Bridges Chamber Orchestra and a member of the Bridges ensembles Meyjana Trio and Lel.

Anka Hirsch studied cello, composition, jazz and music education in Berlin. As a musician and composer, she dedicates herself to the fields of jazz, improvisation, global music and theatre music - in solo projects as well as in various bands. Anka Hirsch studied Arabic and North Indian music at the Oriental Music Academy in Mannheim and percussion at the Frame Drum Academy in Freiburg. She has been active with Bridges - Music Connects since 2018.

Musikzimmer

With the "Musikzimmer" series, KfW Stiftung creates a new stage for music and transcultural encounters. Attending the concerts in the historic ambience of Villa 102 offers the audience not only an insight into the wealth of musical culture, but also the opportunity for personal exchange about the diversity of composition, design and instruments from around the world. Perismon is an ensemble of the transcultural music initiative Bridges - Music Connects.

Bridges - Kammerorchester

The SeZeh Trio is one of the ensembles of the Bridges Chamber Orchestra. The musicians of the chamber orchestra are active in ensemble and educational formats that are characterised by the interplay of instruments from various regions of the European, Asian and American continents, taking into account the musical and cultural backgrounds of the participants. Its concert activities range from refugee accommodation to the Alte Oper Frankfurt and the German government, and from concert series in Frankfurt venues and museums to international festivals.

‘Bridges’ completed the KfW Stiftung's “ANKOMMER.Perspektive Deutschland” programme and won the KfW Stiftung's Special Impact Preis der KfW Stiftung. The Bridges Chamber Orchestra was appointed Orchestra in Residence at Kronberg Academy in September 2022 and was shortlisted for Preis Innovation 2022. It is one of the winners of Hessischen Integrationspreises 2022 and received the Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik 2/2021 (Grenzgänge category) for its Debüt-Album „Identigration“, released in 2021 in co-production with hr. In 2019, the Bridges Chamber Orchestra was honoured with The Power of the Arts 2019 as a nationwide lighthouse project for diversity and integration at eye level.

You can find more information about Bridges here.