Abolhasan Saba | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | April 15, 1902 |
| Origin | Tehran, Iran |
| Died | December 19, 1957 (aged 55) |
| Genres | Persian music |
| Occupation(s) | Composer |
| Instrument(s) | Violin, setar |
Abolhasan Saba (Persian: ابوالحسن صبا; April 15, 1902 – December 19, 1957) was a renowned Iranian composer, violinist, and setar player.[1]
He was born in Tehran to Abul Qasim Khan Kamal ol-Saltaneh, son of Mohammad Jafar Khan Sadr ol-Hekma, son of Mahmud Khan Kashi Malak ol-Shoara Sadr ol-Shoara Saba ol-Shoara, son of Mohammad Hossain Khan Malak ol-Shoara. He studied several of Iranian and non Iranian musical instruments and became an Ostad in Radif, but selected violin and setar as his specific instruments. He was a student of Mirza Abdollah as well as Darvish Khan.[1]
Saba is considered one of Iran's most influential figures in traditional and instrumental Persian music.[1][2] His first recording for radio was in 1927 when he played violin accompanying Iran's famous singer Ruhangis.[3]
Amongst his many students who went on to become great masters of Persian traditional music were Faramarz Payvar, Manoochehr Sadeghi,[4] Habibollah Badiei, Rahmatollah Badiyi, Abbas Emadi, Ali Tajvidi, Mahmoud Tajbakhsh, Sassan Sepanta, Saeid Gharachorloo, Parviz Yahaghi, Dariush Safvat, Gholam-Hossein Banan and Hossein Tehrani.[5]
He died in 1957 and was buried in Tehran's Zahir o-dowleh Cemetery of artists and musicians.
Upon Saba's will in 1974, after his death, the faculty of Fine Arts of the University of Tehran turned his private house into a museum.[6]
