Badieh: Music from Greater Khorasan with Michel Gasco and Mohammad Miraghazadeh

Dear members and friends,
We are excited to bring you this world-renowned musical duo for an experience you won’t easily find. Stopping in Canberra as part of their national tour, Badieh will also be treating us to an afternoon of music.

Abstract

We are welcoming Badieh onto University of Canberra campus to platform the rich history of folk music from the Khorasan region. Badieh is comprised of Spanish and Iranian duo, Michel Gasco on Rubab and Mohammad Miraghazadeh on Setar. Together they present a rich and timeless experience of music inspired by the border between Iran and Afghanistan. Currently touring Australia, these master musicians are performing in Canberra in November but will stop off at University of Canberra to host a workshop and demonstrate their art. The one-hour session will be a chance to meet these internationally acclaimed musicians and engage in conversation with them. End your week inspired by music from across the oceans!

Audiences can expect a deeply immersive and transportive experience, as Badieh brings to life the soulful and rarely heard folk music traditions of Greater Khorasan - the cultural heartland spanning eastern Iran and northern Afghanistan. With a combination of traditional instruments (Afghan rabab and Persian setar) and centuries-old melodies, the duo creates a sonic journey that is both meditative and emotionally powerful.

What sets this performance apart is Badieh’s rare authenticity and attention to cultural detail. This is not fusion or reinterpretation for the sake of novelty - it’s a respectful, meticulously researched revival of a fading oral tradition, performed with cinematic sensitivity and contemporary resonance. Whether you’re drawn to world music, classical traditions, or atmospheric live performance, Badieh offers a unique window into an ancient musical world - one that feels timeless, vital, and deeply human.

All are welcome!

About the artists:

Michel Gasco is a Spanish oud and rubab player. He spent several years studying in Damascus andAleppo before the war, under the guidance of renowned teachers such as Mohammad Qadri Dalal and Ayman Jesry.
Since 2012, Michel has been studying the Afghan rubab in Iran, under the tutelage of Nasim Khushnawaz. He has actively participated in international festivals and toured with various ensembles, including Vandalus, Homs Band, and Orontes, performing across Europe, as well as in Syria, Jordan, Morocco, Japan, and Australia.
In addition to his work as a musician and composer, Michel is also a documentary film director and researcher specializing in Syrian music—particularly the oud tradition—and in the musical practices of Afghan musicians in diaspora in Iran. He has directed several cultural research projects and documentaries in Syria, Iran, and Afghanistan.

Mohammad Miraghazadeh was born in Mashhad, a city in northeastern Iran, and began studying music at the age of ten, focusing on Persian classical traditions. He trained in Tar and Setar under the guidance of two renowned Iranian masters, Ustad Mohammad Reza Lotfi and Ustad Jalal Zolfonoon.
Throughout his musical career, Mohammad has been a member of several ensembles, including Delshodegan, Ghoghnoos, and Ghasedak. In addition to performing, he has worked as a Tar and Setar instructor at various music institutes in Mashhad.

Support and Funding

FAD Research and Teaching Seed Funding grants are supporting this event.

This workshop is hosted by the Centre for Cultural and Creative Research (CCCR), Faculty of Arts and Design, University of Canberra. To discover upcoming seminars and events, please follow us on Facebook @uccccr, or Instagram and Twitter @uc_cccr. Alternatively, join our mailing list by emailing cccr@canberra.edu.au.

Any questions and accessibility requests please contact: cccr@canberra.edu.au.