Farāmarz Pāyvar and his place in Iranian music

This book describes the contribution of an eminent Iranian musician and composer, Ostād Farāmarz Pāyvar, to the performance practice of contemporary Iranian classical music. It argues that Pāyvar was responsible for the rehabilitation of the Iranian hammered dulcimer or santūr within the Iranian classical repertoire, developing and refining its playing techniques and repertoire and transmitting his innovative and sophisticated ideas about the performance of Iranian classical music through his pedagogical practice and publications. A brief biography of Pāyvar, emphasising his musical lineage and heritage and his influence on subsequent generations of musicians, is also included. The thesis is in part a personal tribute to Pāyvar, who was the teacher and musical mentor of the writer.