Biography

Mehrdad Arabi (Tombak and Daf), an internationally acclaimed Master of Persian music and has received numerous awards, for his work from the likes of Daytona Symphony Society, the University of Borneo , the City of Madrid and the City of Nicosia in Cypress . He was recently awarded the prestigious Master Musician Fellowship from the Durfee Foundation in Los Angeles Arabi began studying Tombak as a teenager with the renowned Morteza Ayan & Nasser Eftetaah. In addition, he is proficient in the Kemancheh and Violin, which he studied with Mohammad Moghadassi and Reza Rahimi Jafari. He is currently completing his training in Western Classical violin with Master Ovsep Ketendjian, a faculty member at the Julliard School of Music.

Arabi is one of a handful of musicians who have studied both the traditional and the contemporary approaches to the Tombak; he utilizes both in his compositions as a soloist as well as an accompanist. His signature style of Tombak playing is clear and crisp. Arabi participated in more than 20 recordings as a performer, composer and arranger. The highlights of this collection are his recordings with two of the legends of Persian music, Hassan Kasaie and Jalil Shahnaz, with whom he has also appeared in concert. He has also recorded soundtracks for Hollywood films including The Passion of the Christ, Hidalgo and Helen of Troy. He has composed the score and played a full orchestra for the first Iranian American cartoon in the United States, Babak his First Norooz. He is the fonder of Persian Drums institute. He teaches Tombak & Daf in Southern California (Los Angeles , Orange County & San Diego) area.