TU
Mahan Esfahani's invitation to the benefit concert for the Bohuslav Martinů Institute
On Monday, November 19, the fourth benefit concert will be held to support the scientific work of the Bohuslav Martinů Institute, whose main task since 2014 is to publish the work of Martinů in critical editions. Every year, at its benefit concerts, there perform significant artists, such were Enrico Pieranunzi, Josef Špaček, Martina Janková, Ivo Kahanek and others. This year, internationally acclaimed Iranian-American harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani accepted the invitation of the Bohuslav Martinů Institute.
Mahan Esfahani is an American harpsichordist of Iranian origin. He studied musicology and history at Stanford University, before studying harpsichord with Peter Watchorn in Boston and completing his formation with the celebrated Prof. Zuzana Růžičková in Prague. He was a BBC New Generation Artist from 2008-2010, a Borletti-Buitoni Trust prizewinner, and in 2014 Mahan was on the shortlist both for the Royal Philharmonic Society Instrumentalist of the Year and Gramophone Artist of the Year – all firsts for the harpsichord. In 2015 he was honoured with the BBC Music Magazine ‘Newcomer of the Year’ award and was nominated in three categories for the Gramophone Awards – Best Baroque Instrumental, Best Instrumental, and again Artist of the Year.