American Voices presents Sahba Motallebi w/ Ryan Spearman Band

American Voices and KDHX are proud to announce the first installment of MUSIC ACROSS BORDERS, a music and education series designed to enhance cultural understanding among peoples and nations. This event series brings American Voices' commitment to cultural exchange and collaboration to its hometown of St. Louis.

Volume 1 features Persian Tar and Setar player Sahba Motallebi performing live, with an opening set from and collaboration with the Ryan Spearman Band.

Saturday, October 21
8pm (Doors 7pm)
The Stage at KDHX
3524 Washington Ave, St. Louis
$15*, all ages
Tickets and more information available at www.musicacrossborders.us
(*note: no one will be turned away due to an inability to pay)

Sahba Motallebi
Sahba Motallebi is recognized internationally as a modern virtuoso of the tar and setar, lute-like stringed instruments central to one of the world’s great musical traditions. She began studying music as a young girl in Sari, a small seaside city in the north of Iran.

In 1993, at the age of 14, her talent garnered her an invitation to begin studies at the Tehran Conservatory of Music. She flourished there, and was recognized as Best Tar Player at the Iranian Music Festival four years running (1995-1998). After graduating from Conservatory in 1997, she helped found the groundbreaking women’s music ensemble Chakaveh, and in 1999 she was invited to join the Iranian National Orchestra, thus beginning her career as an international performer.

For the past decade, Sahba Motallebi has lived near Los Angeles, She continues to perform worldwide, and has released a series of noted books and recordings, the latest of which is 2014’s A Tear at the Crossroad of Time. Sahba is also recognized as an innovator in the teaching of Persian music; her pioneering efforts to put instructional materials on the internet and to teach students online have inspired something of a renaissance in the transmission of this ancient art form, and reflect her abiding commitment to bring the gift of music to her community and the world.

sahbamotallebi.com

The Ryan Spearman Band
Ryan Spearman lives to share music. He's a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, educator, author, podcaster, and promoter. He's also the co-founder of The Green Strum Project and the St. Louis Folk and Roots Festival.

Joining him in the band: Andy Novara, Colin Blair, Joey Glynn

www.ryanspearman.net

American Voices
American Voices is a nonprofit organization that has been conducting cross-cultural engagement with audiences in over 110 nations worldwide since 1993. Founded with a focus on the recently independent nations of Central and Eastern Europe, American Voices has expanded its mission towards supporting youth in nations emerging from conflict or isolation.

www.americanvoices.org