2025 Minnie Untermyer Series: Sabha Motallebi and Reza Mohsenipour

Sunday, August 3 at 5:00 PM.

Four-time winner at the Iranian Music Festival and the Tehran Conservatory, Sahba Motallebi is a modern master of the tar and sitar, as well as an enchanting vocalist. In addition to performing globally, she performed at the White House celebration of Nowruz in 2023. Her singing and playing captivates audiences globally with music born from centuries of Iranian tradition and interpreted through a contemporary lens. Joined by her husband and fellow Tar virtuoso, Reza Mohsenipour, and vocalist Mitra Khorsandi.

This performance is RAIN OR SHINE. In case of inclement weather, the performance will take place indoors in the Community Room of the Cola Center at Untermyer Park & Gardens, and there will be signs directing you indoors. All sales are final.

Sahba Motallebi is a Grammy Award-winning Iranian-American virtuoso of the tar and setar, celebrated as a pioneering artist, educator, and inspirational figure in Persian classical music. She has performed on major stages around the world, including, Hollywood bowl Carnegie Hall, Disney Hall, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Berklee Performance Center, sharing the stage with renowned artist such as Yo-Yo Ma. As a dedicated teacher, Sahba has created extensive online resources for students globally through her YouTube channel SahbaMusic, where she offers in-depth instruction in traditional Persian music. Her innovative approach has helped preserve and expand the reach of this ancient art form, inspiring musicians across generations.

Reza Mohsenipour is an Iranian composer, târ and setâr player, and ethnomusicologist. Trained in Persian classical music under masters such as Hossein Alizadeh and Farhad Fakhredini, he has performed, composed, and taught extensively in Iran, Italy, and internationally. Founder of the Barbad Project, he blends traditional Persian music with contemporary influences. Now based in California, he collaborates with Grammy-winning virtuoso Sahba Motallebi on innovative musical projects worldwide.

Mitra Khorsandi is experienced in various styles of Persian folk, pop and classical music. She has been performing folk Persian music and dance since she was 9 years old. In Iran, she routinely sang at regional festivals and competitions on Iran Radio and received award Ramsar music Festival at the age of 14. Mitra . Khorsandi’s musical education took place in Iran, USA, and India. She has studied radife Avaz, music theory, history of Persian music with Maestro Tareef , Alireza Javahari and Indian Maestros .

Mitra Khorsandi has been living in New York since 1986, works as a managing mechanical engineer, and has been teaching Persian literature, poetry, voice and folk dance to Persian school students since 1988. She has performed many concerts in the United States and Canada with leading Persian music groups, including with the Arts Ahimsa Chamber Orchestra (NY).