Anushiravan Ruhani

Ruhani, Anushiravan (1940-). Piano, organ, and accordion instrumentalist, composer, and the last pianist of repute performing in the Gulha programmes. He studied music between 1949-1959 with Javad Ma‘rufi at the National Academy of Music under the directorship of Ruhu’llah Khaliqi. In his childhood he performed on the piano and accordion for Radio Tehran. He wrote musical compositions at the age of ten; already at that age he was regarded as a professional musician. He brought Javad Ma‘rufi’s Persian style of performance on the piano to the zenith of its power of expression and creativity. Furthermore, he made a name for himself as a professional composer and as one of the earliest performers on electronic organ in the domain of Persian music. He made his debut by composing and performing in the Gulha in early 1960s. From early youth his work was possessed of a powerful technique and showed dynamic, forceful talent; later on, as he matured, Ruhani displayed his other skills in the domains of Persian film, not to mention orchestral and pop music. From 1978 owing to restrictions placed on his favourite type of music in Iran, he has been active in the United States, where numerous albums by him have been released, including a number of CDs containing piano solo performances, orchestral works, and performances on the accordion.