Ostad Nasser Farhangfar, the great master of tonbak
March 31, 2007
A recognized master of the art of tonbak playing, the late Ostad Nasser Farhangfar (1947-1997), was born in Rey city of Tehran Iran.
His father was a tar player and his uncle was a tonbak player. His grand father, Mirza Mehdi-ye-Khoshnevis, was a famous calligrapher of Ghajar’s era. He started playing tonbak at the early age of nine. At this time he regularly went to the local traditional zourkhaneh, not to watch the athletes, but to listen to the rhythms of the tonbak used in training of the athletes.
Later he studied tonbak with the Mohammad Torkaman, Ostad Hosain Tehrani, and Ostad Dr. Noor Ali Khan Boroumand and Ostad Abdollah Davami.
His talent and knowledge in the art of tonbak playing with his background of zourkhaneh’s tonbak made him a unique tonbak player in his time. His followers have called his style sabk-e-Ostad Farhangfar (the style of maestro Farhangfar).
He performed widely and trained many students. His masterpiece in the art of tonbak playing is his accompaniment of the tar of Ostad M.R. Lotfi in Dastgah-e-Segah in the cassette of Parvaz-e-Eshgh, which distributed for his remembrance by Ava-ye-Shayda Company in Tehran.
He was also familiar with radif repertoire of Persian art music. He was also a poet and a calligrapher.
