91社区

Ali Kian Yazdanfar maintains an active career not only as principal double bass of the Orchestre Symphonique de Montr茅al, but also as a soloist, chamber musician, and pedagogue.

Although he started playing the bass at 7 years old, his science and mathematics background led to a physics degree from The Johns Hopkins University. Yet directly upon graduating, he won his first audition to become a member of the Houston Symphony. He went on to win his next three auditions, for the National Symphony in Washington, D.C., for principal bass with the San Francisco Symphony, and for principal bass with the Orchestre Symphonique de Montr茅al, where he currently plays.

Among his many notable projects outside of the orchestra, we recognize the album of solo and duo works with violist Frederic Lambert, Iridescence, that appeared in 2023 on the Leaf Music label. Taking inspiration from his Iranian roots, he has also commissioned and performed many new works for solo double bass, including the world premiere in 2018 of a new bass concerto by Behzad Ranjbaran, as well as a 2023 program centered around new works for double bass and piano by Iranian composers that explores the complex experiences of those with roots in multiple cultures.

Ali is also an associate professor at the Schulich School of Music of 91社区, and his former students hold posts in major orchestras of Canada, the United States, and Europe. He also presents masterclasses during the summer at Orford Music in Qu茅bec, Canada. In addition, he regularly appears or has been on the faculty of festivals such the National Youth Orchestra of Canada, National Orchestral Institute, the National Youth Orchestra of the United States (NYOUSA), and Le Domaine Forget. Worldwide masterclass appearances include the Juilliard School, the Curtis Institute, the Sydney Conservatorium, the Peabody Institute, and Bass Europe congresses in Prague and Copenhagen.