Department/College/UnitArts Division

TitlePhD Student in Ethnomusicology

AffiliationGraduate

Primary Office LocationMusic Center

Mail StopMusic Center

Biography, Education and Training

Siamak Barghi is an Iranian musician and composer currently a Ph.D. student in Musicology/Ethnomusicology at the University of California, Santa Cruz. He received his MA in Ethnomusicology in 2021 from the University of Tehran, Iran. Siamak started to learn music when he was 5, under the supervision of his father, Asad Barghi, and later benefited from Iranian Music Maestros Bahman Rajabi, Mohammadreza Lotfi, Navid Afghah, Hooman Asadi, Sasan Fatemi, and Babak Khazrai.

As an instrumentalist (Violinist, Tonbak, and Kamanche Player), he has performed numerous concerts during 2006-2023 in his country and abroad. He has experience performing concerts with Iranian Maestros Aliakbar Shekarchi, Shahram Mirjalali, and Ardeshir Kamkar. 

He founded Saba Orchestra in 2010 in his hometown, Mashhad, cooperating with his brother, Samad Barghi. Siamak has composed and arranged numerous music pieces for ensembles and orchestras based on Iranian classical music, many of which have been performed and recorded. He is also familiar with other Iranian music instruments, Setār, Tār, Daf, ‘Oud, Ney, and Ghichak.

Research Interests

• Modal Music Theories in the Middle East and Central Asia
• Music Improvisation Studies
• Rhythm Theories in the Middle East, India & North Africa
• Transnational Violin Playing in the Middle East & India
• Gender and Identity in Music
• Sound Studies, Acoustics, and Tuning Theories
• Iranian Classical and Folklore Music

Teaching Interests

2016-2024     Faculty member and lecturer at Ferdows Institute of Higher Education, Mashhad, Iran. Teaching courses: Acoustics, General Tonbak Playing (I) & (II), Computer Applications in Music, Iranian Classical Music Fundamentals, Iranian Music Ensemble (I), Form and Composition in Iranian Music, Iranian Orchestra (I), (II), (IV). Conducting several BA theses.

Siamak has experience teaching music instruments and courses in several music institutes and universities in Iran since 2005. He established his music institute, Arqanon, in 2018 in Mashhad, Iran. Siamak has also conducted several research and fieldwork studies on the Folklore music of different cultural regions of Iran, such as Eastern Khorāsān, Kermān, and Balouchestān, and has published several papers on them. He has transcribed a music album for Tonbak Solo (Āvāye Khiāl by Navid Afghah, 2000) and a tutorial book for Tonbak containing 88 pieces from elementary to advanced.

Teaching Interests:

• Iranian Classical Music Fundamentals
• Modal Music Theories in the Middle East
• Rhythm Theories in the Middle East, India & North Africa

Awards, Honors and Grants

2019            Ranked Second in the Iranian National University Entrance Exam for an MA in Music. 

2018            Ranked First in “Mugam Music Competition,” Accompanying “Khayyam Music Ensemble”, Azerbaijan National Conservatory & Azerbaijan State Philharmonic Hall, Baku, Azerbaijan.

2004, 2008, 2019    BSc., MSc., and MA. Tuition Exemption Scholarship by Ministry of Science, Research & Technology, Iran.

2007             Ranked First Tonbak Player, 6th National Festival of Youth Music, Tehran, Iran.

Selected Exhibitions

Education

• 2019-2021 MA. in Musicology/Ethnomusicology, College of Fine Arts, University of Tehran. Tehran, Iran.
• 2008-2011 MSc. in Electrical Engineering, K.N.Toosi University of Technology, Tehran, Iran.
• 2004-2008 BSc., Electrical Engineering, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran.

Other

• Babak Khazrai: Studies on Iqā (Rhythm) in Historical Music Treatises.
• Mohammad Reza Lotfi: Specialization in Historic Cyclic Rhythms (Adwār Iqāi) and Meters of Iranian Classical Music, Specialization in Persian Classical Music Repertory (Radif).
• Bahman Rajabi, Navid Afghah: Professional Tonbak Playing.
• Asad Barghi (my father) Music Theory, Violin & Ney Playing.

Selected Performances

• 2024     “Setar & Tonbak Improvisation: Iranian Classical Music” Accompanying Amir Nozhan, Central Stage, Richmond, CA.
• 2024    “Kamancheh & Tonbak Improvisation: Iranian Classical and Kurdi Folklore Music,” Accompanying Ardeshir Kamkar, Mashhad, Iran.  
• 2018    “Mugam Music Competition,” Accompanying “Khayyam Music Ensemble,” Azerbaijan National Conservatory & Azerbaijan State Philharmonic Hall, Baku, Azerbaijan.
• 2018    “Tār & Tonbak Improvisation: Iranian Classical Music,” Accompanying Shahram Mirjalali, Mashhad, Iran.
• 2017     “Kamancheh & Tonbak Improvisation: Iranian Classical and Lorestān Folklore Music,” Accompanying Aliakbar Shekarchi, Mashhad, Iran.  
• 2010-2020       Saba Orchestra Concerts, 1st Violin Player, Composer, and Arranger. Mashhad, Iran.

Selected Presentations

2019 “An Introduction to the Iranian Classical Music and Its Present Situation Among General Public”, Postgraduate students, University of Cambridge.

Selected Publications

2024    Barghi, Siamak. Āwāye Khiāl: Transcription of the Album, Stylistic Analysis of Navid Afghah's works. Tehran: Mashahir-e Honar.

2023    Barghi, Siamak. Tonbak Tutorial Book: 88 pieces from Elementary to Advanced.

Other publication: Siamak Barghi’s Google Scholar

Selected Recordings

• 2022    Kamāne. Iranian Classical Music, Duet for Violin & Tonbak. Mashhad: Āwaye Khonyagaran Khayyam Part.
• 2018    Fall to Autumn. Iranian Classical Music. Tehran: Chahārbāgh.
• 2018    Bi-Maryam. Bakhtiāri Folklore Music. Tehran: Hozeh Honari.
• 2013    Sāye-hā. Iranian Popular Music. Tehran: Golchin-e Āvāye Shargh.
• 2006    Sarve-Kharāmān. Khorāsan Folklore Music. Tehran: Soroush.