Quick Facts
Biography
Parvaz Homay (born 1980) is an Iranian composer, lyricist, vocalist, and performer specializing in Persian classical-style music. Also known by his given birth name Saieed Jafar-Zadeh, he is better known in the public as Homay. He is the founder and leader of the Mastan Ensemble.
Biography
Homay was born in Gilan, a province located in North-west portion of Iran, bordering the Caspian Sea. From an early age, Homay showed an interest in the arts. His favorite subjects at school were poetry and painting. At the age of 15, he began singing and acting in thrater. At 16, he entered art school where he would receive his diploma for painting.
At the age of 19, he left theater school and decided to study musical harmonization and composition with focus on piano and setar. Receiving his formal education in art studies and pursuing his degree from The Conservatory of Music in Tehran, Iran, Homay studied Persian poetry. His studies were conducted under supervision of professors such as Dr. Ali Gholi Bakhtiari-Tayari and Mr. Ali-Akbar Kanni.
Homay learned Gilaki folk music with Mr. Fereydoun Pour-Reza and Persian classical music (radif) with Maestros Kamal-Din Abbas, Hengameh Akhvan and Karim Saleh Azimi.
At the age of 30 he decided to study Italian Opera. To learn the discipline, he traveled to Italy and Canada to study under two operatic masters - Mr. Daniel Ebi (Toronto) and Mr. Delfo Menicucci (Viargu, Italy).
Homay & Mastan Ensemble Performances
Homay & the Mastan Ensemble enjoyed success after the release of their album entitled "Molaghaat Ba Doozakhian," or "Meeting with Sinners among the Flames", which was written, composed, and sung by Homay.
Homay & the Mastan Ensemble released "In Che Jahanist?" ("Questions for Our World,” “What sort of World is This?") in 2007, an album that examining the relationship between human beings and the reality that they create.
His performances have been held at notable and sizable venues across the globe, including but not limited to Los Angeles' Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Lincoln Center in New York, Strathmore Hall in the Washington D.C. area, and Roy Thompson Hall in Toronto, Canada.
Over the past several years, Homay has been working on an international project entitled "Saving Our Planet Earth". To compile the various components of this project both musically and artistically, Homay has spent much time traveling and conducting research in various countries around the world, including Africa, India and Iran.
Homay became a vegetarian 5 years ago.
Although Homay lives in Iran, he is unable to perform there. As such, his fans travel outside the country to attend his performances.
Parvaz has performed several mixed performances of Persian music in conjunction with symphony orchestras in operatic format in Belgium, Los Angeles and Toronto. Some of these include:
- "Moses and the Shepherd" (Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles, CA. Conductor: Mr. Shahrdad Rouhani)
- "Love, Wisdom and Man" (Tonhalle, Düsseldorf, Germany; CCH - Congress Center Hamburg, Germany; Palais Des Beaux Arts Bruxselles, Belgium; Barbican Hall, London, United Kingdom Conductor: Mr. Walter Proost)
- "Love, Wisdom and Man", Roy Thompson Hall Toronto, Ontario, Conductor: Mr. Kerry Stratton
Other significant tours have included:
- Vahdat Concert Hall / Tehran-Iran 2006
- International Tour 2006 - 2007
- Niyavaran Palace / Tehran-Iran 2007
- Roodaki Concert Hall / Tehran-Iran 2007
- United States Tour 2008
- Walt Disney Concert Hall / Los Angeles,CA 3 July 2008
- Encinitas community center / San Diego, CA 2008
- Santa Clara convention center / San Jose,CA 2008
- Strathmore Music Center / Washington DC 19 July 2008
- 2008 Rumi’s Anniversary
- Konya-Turkey 14 December 2008
- United States Tour 2009
- Walt Disney Concert Hall / Los Angeles, CA 16 August 2009
- Palace of Fine Arts / San Francisco 22 August 2009
- Benaroya Hall / Seattle 23 August 2009
- Museum of Contemporary Art / San Diego 29 & 30 August 2009
- Stafford Center / Houston 4 September 2009
- Garland Art Center / Dallas 5 September 2009
- Lincoln Center (Alice Tully Hall) 19 September 2009
- Strathmore Music Center / Washington DC 25 September 2009
- Northeastern University / Chicago 26 September 2009
Gwinnett Performing Arts Center / Atlanta 27 September 2009
- International Tour 2009
- Vancouver,BC / 9 October 2009
- Toronto, ON / 11 October 2009
- Montreal,QC / 16 October 2009
- 2010 North America Tour
- Los Angeles, CA/ 15 August 2010
- San Francisco, CA / 21 August 2010
- San Diego, CA / 28 August 2010
- Houston, TX / 4 September 2010
- Dallas, TX / 5 September 2010
- Miami, FL / 10 September 2010
- Orlando, FL / 12 September 2010
- Atlanta, GA / 18 September 2010
- Washington, D.C. / 19 September 2010
- New York, NY / 24 September 2010
- Toronto, ON / 3 October 2010
- Montreal, QC / 8 October 2010
- Vancouver, BC / 16 October 2010
- Calgary, AB / 23 October 2010
2010 Europe Tour
2011 North America Tour
2011 Europe Tour
2012 Europe Tour
2013 North America Tour
2013 Europe Tour
2014 Europe Tour
Albums by Homay and the Mastan Ensamble
- Jedale Aghl va Eshgh (2005) (The Battle between Wisdom and Heart)
- Molahgat ba Doozakhian (2006) (Meeting with the Infernals)
- In Che Jahanist? (2007) (What Sort of World Is This?)
- Sar Zamine Bi Karan (2008) (Endless Country)
- Parvardgare Mast (2009) (Drunken Creator)
- Ajab Abe Gelaloodi (2010) -unreleased (A Hidden Truth Within Muddy Waters)
- Mussa va Shaban: Moses and the Shepherd (2010) -unreleased
- Mastan Symphonic (2010) -unreleased
- Morgh-e Sahar Naleh Sar Nakon (Don't Cry Morning Bird)
- Sarbazaan (Soldiers)
- Dar Aghosh-e Khoda (In the Bosom of God)
- Mast-e Mastam (I'm Dead Drunk)
- Banu-ye Irani (Iranian Girl)
- Kolahat Ra Bekon Ghazi (Be Your Own Judge)
- Bayadha Va Nabayadha (The Do's and Don't's)
- Divaneh Cho Divaneh Bebinad Khoshashayad
- Khodah Dar Roostaye Mast (God is in my Village)