Student Pezhham Akhavass to Perform at NeekOn Festival

BROADWAY WORLD SAN FRANCISCO -- Pezhham Akhavass is a world-class percussionist, global music director of San Francisco World Music Festival and modern-day virtuoso of Persian percussive instruments Tombak and Daf. Born in 1980 in Iran into the artistic Akhavass family, with the support of his renowned father Mostafa, he began studying Tombak at age 5. In addition to Tombak and Daf, Akhavass is knowledgeable about Setar, Tanbour and Oud, and has studied other percussion instruments including Indian Tabla, with the guidance of Ostad Zakir Hussain. He has toured and performed extensively at notable festivals and in prestigious venues throughout Iran, Turkey, Europe, the U.S., Australia and Asia, performing with world master musicians such as YoYo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble, and Diana Rowan. Akhavass has worked with the top names in Persian music and teaches and gives lectures and demonstrations in Persian music and performance. He is studying music at San Francisco State University.