Mahya Hamedi and Bahar Badieitabar
The Principles of Classical and Folk Music of Iran
Mahya Hamedi (born 1999) is an Iranian vocalist, pianist, and composer from Tehran. She is currently based in Boston, Massachusetts, pursuing a Bachelor of Music degree from Berklee College of Music. Singing and playing the piano since the age of nine, Mahya realized quickly that music was her lifelong passion. Her early compositions for theatre won local and national awards, and she has performed in groups across Iran and in Greece before university. Unable to pursue studies in vocal performance in her home country due to a national ban on women singing, she studied classical piano at the University of Tehran for two years before traveling to Berklee to focus on voice and composition.
Mahya’s recorded works are highly syncretic, fusing Iranian folk music with contemporary jazz pop, and classical music showcasing her powerful and versatile voice. They have been celebrated both in Iran and throughout the Iranian diaspora, accumulating hundreds of thousands of plays on music streaming services. Her original song “Deng,” a plea for pacifism written as tensions escalated between Iran and the United States, was released in January 2020. It was featured in The Female Voice of Iran (2020), a widely-viewed documentary for which Mahya was also personally interviewed. Mahya is currently writing material for her debut studio album, which she looks forward to promoting around the world.
Bahar Badieitabar is an Iranian Oud player and composer, currently studying composition and performance at Berklee College of Music under a full scholarship. At the age 12, Bahar began her musical training at the Tehran Music School, where she earned her high school diploma in music. She studied under notable Oud players including Siavash Roshan, Negar Bouban, and Yurdal Tukcan.
Bahar won the first place at the Iranian Youth National Music Festival for two consecutive years at the ages of 16 and 17. She has performed at numerous venues and music festivals both in Iran and the United States with musicians of diverse backgrounds. In 2017, Bahar began her undergraduate studies in Oud Performance at the University of Tehran, before moving to the United States to study at Berklee. She has studied and worked with acclaimed musicians such Marti Epstein, Kris Davis, Alain Mallet and has been part of Berklee institute of Jazz Gender and Justice since 2022 during her time at Berklee.
Bahar’s background contributes to her authentic approach to composition, which is rooted in Iranian classical music, contemporary concert music, and Jazz. Currently, she is a member of Danilo Perez’s Global Jazz Messengers and has shared the stage with renowned musicians including John Pattituchi, Brian Blade, and Danilo Perez himself.