CMA Concerts at Transformer Station

For the inaugural CMA Concert Series at Transformer Station, join us for an evening of the rhythms from Salar Nader of the Afghani and South Asian traditions by the regular accompanist of Amjad Ali Khan and the first disciple of Ustad Zakir Hussein.

Tickets are $20 ($18 for CMA members) and available online, at the Cleveland Museum of Art box office, and Transformer Station. Please be advised seating is very limited. 

About this Concert Series:
Setting a standard for vanguard art, the Transformer Station also heralds a new space for adventurous music. This fall marks the start of a series of intimate and (mostly) solo concerts presented by the Cleveland Museum of Art, featuring composed and improvised music by some of the most remarkable artists of our time. Virtuosic on every level.

About Salar Nader:

One of the most sought-after percussionists of his generation, Salar Nader is a master of the Afghani and South Asian music traditions.  A prodigy, he was initiated through the ghandavand ceremony (red thread ceremony) by his teacher Zakir Hussain at the very young age of 12, joining Nader to his guru for life. He has collaborated with many legendary musicians including master Pakistani vocalist Ustad Salamat Ali Khan, Afghan singers such as Farida Mawaash and Ahmad Wali, Indian classical musician Amjad Ali Khan, the Kronos Quartet and many others. In 2005, Nader also began accompanying dance performances, in particular working with India’s Pandit Chitresh Das, founder of San Francisco’s Chhandam School of Dance, which has extensions around North America.   A few years back, the celebrated Afghan novelist Khaled Hosseini approached Nader to collaborate on a stage adaptation of his acclaimed novel, “The Kite Runner.”  Nader composed and performed the music score for an initial, two-month run in San Jose in 2007.  He then reworked the score, arranging and composing works entirely from the world of Afghan, Farsi folklore and ghazal.  This production debuted in 2008 at the San Jose Repertory Theatre in 2009 in Arizona, and in 2010 Kentucky and Ohio, before moving on to other cities around the world. Amid all these other projects, Nader and Homayun Sakhi co-founded the Afghan music ensemble SARA, featuring percussion, dance, vocal and instrumental elements.  The group debuted in December, 2009, in Abu Dhabi, and has performed since throughout the United States to packed theaters.  Following the Abu Dhabi performance, Nader and Sakhi went to Afghanistan—a first for Nader—and they performed spontaneous, well-received duo concerts around Kabul, a deeply gratifying experience for both musicians.  SARA has become a key focus in Nader’s busy life.  “It’s a group of masters,” he said, “and I feel like the baby in this group.  I am still learning from all of them.” Nader also continues to collaborate on projects with new artists, like the Kronos Quartet, Niyaz (Iran), Fareed Haque, Chebi Sabbah & 1002 Nights (electronica), and for the first-time, a collaboration between Tajik, Uzbek and Afghan instrumentalist (Ustad Surajudin, Ustad Mukhtar & Homayun Sakhi). This concert marks Nader's Cleveland solo debut in a rare performance of solo tabla.

This concert series is presented at:

The Transformer Station is a new contemporary art museum on Cleveland’s west side, owned by the Fred and Laura Ruth Bidwell Foundation. For six months a year, the Cleveland Museum of Art will present exhibitions with internationally recognized artists, using it as a creative laboratory.

For hours and other information, visit transformerstation.org.