Shams ensemble

The Shams ensemble is one of the leading groups of Iranian classical music, led by Kaykhosrow Pournazeri. Because the tanbur is its main instrument, it is also widely known as the Shams Tanbur Ensemble.

Pournazeri founded the group in 1980 (1359 SH). Since then it has worked with well-known singers and musicians such as Shahram Nazeri, Homayoun Shajarian, Bijan Kamkar, Hamidreza Nourbakhsh, Alireza Ghorbani, Seyed Khalil Alinejad, Golnazar Azizi and Ali Akbar Moradi.

Its current members include Tahmoures and Sohrab Pournazeri, Kaykhosrow Pournazeri’s sons, who have played a key part in continuing their father’s path.

In the group’s early years, Najmeh Tajaddod, Seyed Khalil Alinejad, Ali Akbar Moradi and Ramin Kakavand also played alongside Pournazeri. On the choice of name, Pournazeri has said:

“Whatever name we chose drew some criticism, but the name Shams was chosen together and in agreement with the members, and entirely deliberately. We picked it from several suggestions.”