Alireza Ostovar
Email: alireza.ostovar.music@gmail.com
Website: www.aliostovar.com
www.soundcloud.com/ali.ostovar
Spotify (Ali Ostovar) Bandcamp (Ali Ostovar)
Spotify (TEMBER Ensemble: Transcultural Electroacoustic Music Ensemble Berlin), Bandcamp (TEMBER Ensemble)
Discography: selection of the most important publications
· Album “TIMES OF THE DAY” (21 March 2025) for guzheng, and live-electronics (2023) released online. Alireza Ostovar (composition, live-electronics, production, mixing & mastering), Jiahui Wu (composition and guzheng). The Album has been nominated in the “Electronic and Experimental” categories. For the third long list of the 2025 “Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik” (PdSK) awards.
· Album “Moers Journey” (28 November 2023) for Santur, Nay/flute, percussion, and live-electronics (2023) with Tember Ensemble, released via Noise a’ Noise label, Digital/Physical distribution online. Alireza Ostovar (artistic direction, live-electronics, mixing & mastering). Kioomars Musayyebi (Iranian santur), Valentina Bellanova (nay/flute), and Petros Tzekos (Percussions). Nominated in the “Electronic and Experimental” & “Grenzgänge” (border crossing) categories. For the first long list of the 2024 “Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik” (PdSK) awards.
· Album “Fall and Rise” (15 September 2023) for santur, flute, percussion, voice recitation, tape, live-electronics, recorded/live-video & dance/performance (2022) with Tember Ensemble & guests. Digital distribution online. Alireza Ostovar (concept, artistic direction, composition, live-electronics, and recorded/processed video). Azin Zahedi (santur, flute & voice recitation, interpretation/improvisation). Petros Tzekos (percussion & voice recitation, interpretation/improvisation). Poem from Molana Rumi. Nominated in the “Electronic and Experimental” category for the first long list of the 2024 “Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik” (PdSK) awards. For more info, see here.
· Ep/Single “Saz-e Shekasteh (broken instrument) Live 07” (July 2023) by Ali Ostovar (ft. Delkash, Faramarz Payvar, Hossein Tehrani, Mohammad Esma’ili). Concept, performance, recording, mastering: Alireza Ostovar (Aka Ali Osdovar). Digital distribution online.
· Ep/Single “ Saz-e Shekaste (broken instrument) Live 05 ” (June 2023) by Ali Ostovar (ft. Delkash, and Mohammad Reza Shajarian). Concept, performance, recording, mastering: Alireza Ostovar (Aka Ali Osdovar). Digital distribution online.
· Ep/Single “Relative Silence” (5 May 2023) by Alireza Ostovar (Composition, production, mixing & mastering.) Digital distribution online.
· Album “Live 2022” for live-electronics and various combinations with oud, santur, tanbur, voice, and percussion (8 March 2023) with Tember Ensemble. Digital distribution online. P. Solhjou (tanbur/voice), A. Zahedi (santur/flute), Or Sarfati (oud), Petros Tzekos (percussion), and Alireza Ostovar (live-electronics/mixing/mastering/production)
· Album “Land Scape” for tanbur, santur, voice, and electronics (2022) with Tember Ensemble. Digital distribution online. P. Solhjou (tanbur/voice), A. Zahedi (santur/flute), A Shahmoradi (back vocals), and A. Ostovar (live-electronics/production)
· Album “La Makan” for santur and electronics (2021) with Tember Ensemble. CD & digital distribution online. A. Zahedi (santur) and A. Ostovar (live-electronics/production)
· Two-disk Album “Space Radio Sonar” for drums and live-electronics (2021) with SRS duo. Digital distribution online. Oliver Schmid (drums) & Ali Ostovar (live-electronics)
· “TEMBER Ensemble” published a single track, “Nava” (2021). Azin Zahedi (santur/flute) and Ali Ostovar (live-electronics)
· Single/EP track Lalai” (lullaby) for voice, sehtar, and electronics (2020), digital distribution on most music platforms online. H. Mojtahedy (vocal), S. Mohammadi (sehtar), and A. Ostovar (concept/composition/electronics)
· Album REFLECTIONS in 4 acts for quartet and live-electronics (2017), digital distribution online. Kioomars Musayyebi (santur), Basem Hawar (djoze), Julia Ohrmann (bansuri flute), Ali Ostovar (concept/composition/live-electronics)
· An excerpt of his music composition “REFLECTIONS” has been selected and released by “unexplained sounds group” in an album called Anthology Of Persian Experimental Music Vol. II
· Album “Return” for Santur, Saxophone, Viola, Sehtar, and electronics (2012/15), has been published in a limited number of CDs and is also available online. A. Garufi (saxophone), M. Khademi (santur part 1), K. Musayyebi (santur part 2 & 3), M. Manasieva (viola), E. Gazorzadeh (sehtar), A. Ostovar (concept/composition/electronics)
· Master’s thesis: A Research about Intercultural and Transcultural Processes in Electroacoustic Music. (2018) Published online at INSTITUT FÜR COMPUTERMUSIK UND ELEKTRONISCHE MEDIEN Folkwang Universität der Künste, Essen. Link here.
· Bachelor thesis: Multicultural Music (2014)
· Article: Multicultural Music: Persian Electronic Music. (2015) Published in “The Journal of the Korean Electro-Acoustic Music Society. “ (PDF here)
Selection of music compositions
· Composition “A Pathway to the Light” (2024) for bass flute, cello, and live-electronics, commissioned and performed by “Ensemble Mosaik.”
· Composition “Relative Silence” (2023) commissioned by “Cute Community Radio.” (Audio here)
· Concept, composition, artistic direction, fixed video, and live-electronics performance for “FALL AND RISE” (2022), a project by Alireza Ostovar in collaboration with Tember Ensemble at Vierte Welt, in Berlin, Germany. (Video documentation here)
· Composition and live-electronics performance for “Rituale der Performativen Selbstinventarisierung” (2022), a project by Esther Siddique & Fatma Saltwater at Spinnerei Schwelm, Germany.
· Composed music for an experimental film by Mehran Sepahnia & Atefeh Kheirabadi ( Mehratefeh Realiillusion) called “7+1 Fragment” (2022).
· Composition/Sound design and performance/act in a film project called “When it’s bean a habit” (2021) directed by Maylis Sanchez on a concept from Nejma Larichi.
· Research, music composition, and video art creation at the first phase of the research/production piece “Crossing Borders” (2021), an interdisciplinary project, working with the body, sound, and space, in collaboration with the performer/dancer Uwe Brauns. The result is shown as a video art piece online.
· He has developed and performed a duo version of “Picture of Resistance” (action 2, 2020), His Installation/performance art piece, at Magacin art gallery in Belgrade, Serbia.
· Composition and live-electronics performance for the contemporary dance piece “Tekyeh” (2019) for the master project of the choreographer Ashkan Afsharian at Ernest Busch Hochschule, Berlin.
· Sound installation creation with Andrea Kofinas for an exhibition by Pooya Abbasian, called “Discreetly Living Behind Your face” (2018), Essen, Germany.
· Composed “A LEAF A BODHI” (2016/17) for a flute and live-electronics, performed at the Folkwang University of Art, Essen, Germany.
· Composed electronic music for a new project of the choreographer/director Ivan Strelkin, for the “Tanzabend” performance, at the Folkwang University of Art, in Essen, Germany.
· Composed “REFLECTIONS” (2016/17) in 4 acts for a quartet of santur, tombak, djoze, bansuri, and live electronics, premiered at Folkwang University of Arts, Essen, Germany. (Web link here)
· Composed a new piece in his “Transcultural Music” series for bansuri, djoze, and live-electronics, called “Reflections on each other” (2016), which premiered at Anneliese Brost Musikforum Ruhr, In Bochum, Germany.
· Composed a new piece in his “Transcultural Music” series for solo bansuri and live-electronics, called “The Reflections of Memories of A Room” (2016), which premiered at Pina Bausch Theater, Folkwang University of Arts, in Essen, Germany. (Audio link here)
· Composed music for the master project of the choreographer Carla Jordao in collaboration with Folkwang Tanzstudio, performed at “light museum” (Extraschicht Lange Nacht at Unna, Germany) (2016). (Video links here)
· Composed music for the piece “Landscape of a Dream” (2015/2016) for flute, Guzheng, and electronics based on a traditional Chinese poem (Ru Meng Ling), a primer in “Jungen Choreographen“ in Neuen Aula, Folkwang UDK, Essen, Germany (2016). (Video link here)
· Created a new multidisciplinary piece called “Metastasis” (music: Ali Ostovar & Andrea Kofinas, choreography: Carla Jordao, dance: Luìsa Saraiva, video: Nikan Salari), premier at K29, Essen.
· Composed a new piece in his “intercultural/transcultural electroacoustic music” series of works for fixed media (tape) called Tomb-Back (2015).
· Composed music for the dance piece “Buste de femme” (2015) in collaboration with Nejma Larichi (dancer/choreographer), premier in Zeche 1, Zentrum für Urban Kunst, Bochum.
· Composed music for a dance piece, “Cirren” (2015), which was performed in “Junge Choreographen” at Neuer Aula, Folkwang University, Essen, Germany. Choreographers and dancers: Laura Burgener and Hauke Marttens. music: Ali ostovar and Andrea Kofinas
· Composed a piece for Electric Bass and Electronics for the new version of the performance of the piece “THEME & VARIATIONS” (2014/15) composed by a group of artists from different fields who he met during of “Supergroup” project formed at “Tanzhous NRW Dusseldorf” included: Lea Letzel, Luisa Saraiva, Julia Gruner, and Philip Palau.
· Composed and performed the interdisciplinary piece “THEME & VARIATIONS” (2014) with the group members, including Lea Letzel, Luisa Saraiva, Julia Gruner, and Philip Palau.
· Composed “Return” for Santur, Saxophone, Viola, Sehtar, and electronics (2012/15), it has published a limited number of CDs and is also available online.
· Composed a piece for saxophone and electronics named “Cycle a“(2011/12). premiered in Emufest 2012, “International electroacoustic music festival.” (video link here)
Performances, concerts, and collaborations
2022
· Performed live-electronics in a concert with Tember Ensemble & Guests at BLO Atelier, Open Studio Day in Berlin, Germany. (June 2022). Program: 1st Set: Oud & Live electronics, 2nd Set: Tanbur, Percussion & live-electronics. (video link here)
· Organized and performed live-electronics in a concert with Tember Ensemble & Guests at Institut für West Östliche Musik e.V. in Berlin, Germany. (May 2022)
Program: 1st Set: Indian Classical Music, 2nd Set: Transcultural Electroacoustic Music (Indian Violin, Tabla & Live-Electronics).
· Presented Album release concert by Tember Ensemble & guests at BLO Atelier in Berlin-Lichtenberg, Germany. (June 2022)
Program: 1st set: Santur, Flute, Percussion & Live-electronics. 2nd set: Tanbur, Santur, Flute, Percussion & Live-electronics. (video link here)
2021
· He has organized and performed (live-electronics) “La Makan” Concert series release album (2021) with Tember Ensemble & guests in Berlin, Germany. (video link here)
· He has participated in the research and composed music for the performance art piece “Vanishing Acts and Auto-Soundings,” directed by Esther Siddiquie in collaboration with Nitsan Margaliot, presented online at The Museum of Wild and Newfangled Art.
2020
· He has been invited from “Always Otherwise” as a speaker about the topic “notions of belonging and diaspora through a multiplicity of practices,” and performed electronic music on a modular synthesizer, in an event hosted by “Atelier Automatique” in Bochum.
· An edited version of his music “Lalai” has been used by the choreographer and dancer Vivian Asal Koohnavard for her new work as part of “Choreographies from Isolation” of Staatsballett Berlin, performed on 3rd, 4th, and 5th September and 4th and 22nd October in Komische Oper Berlin, Germany.
· His music composition “Lalai” has been used for a new dance piece by the choreographer Hakan Sonakalan for his new work also called “Lalai” as part of Tanzabend 2020 at Folkwang University of Arts, Essen, Germany.
2019
· Re-performances of Marina Abramovic’s pieces (“Imponderabilia,” “Work Relation,” “Freeing The Memory,” “Freeing The Voice”, “Freeing The Body” & percussionist for “Freeing The Body”) in her exhibition “The Cleaner” from September 2019 to January 2020, at the Contemporary Art Museum, Belgrade, Serbia.
· Has worked as a facilitator for Marina Abramovic’s method during the workshop and concert in AlteOpera Frankfurt during the project “A different way of hearing.”
2018
· Re-performances of Marina Abramovic’s pieces (“Imponderabilia,” “Cleaning the Mirror” & percussionist for “Freeing The Body”) in her exhibition “The Cleaner” from September 2018 to January 2019, at Palazzo Strozzi, Florence, Italy.
· Has performed “A LEAF A BODHI” for solo Flute and Live-Electronics in the “Just in Time” concert organized by ICEM at the Folkwang University of Art in Essen, Germany. (Video link here)
2017
·Performed “Le Corde Sul Corpo” for Santur and live-electronics at the JIM2017 (Journées d’informatique musicale) in Paris. (program’s link here) (Score’s link here)
·Performed “REFLECTIONS” in 4 acts for a quartet Santur, Tombak, Djoze, Bansuri, and live- electronics, premiered at Folkwang University of Arts, Essen, Germany. 2017
2016
· Performed electronic music for the final master’s degree project of the choreographer Carla Jordao, in collaboration with FTS (Folkwang Tanzstudio), performed at “Rohrmeisterei Park” in Schwerte, Germany. (2016) Music by Ali Ostovar and Andrea Kofinas (AKAO) (Video links here)
· Performed his piece “Le Corde Sul Corpo” (2014) for Prepared Santour and live-Electronics at Anneliese Brost Musikforum Ruhr, In Bochum, Germany. (2016)
· Performed music video piece “Metastasis” (music: Ali Ostovar & Andrea Kofinas, video: Nikan Salari), in Neue Aula at Folkwang UDK, Essen, Germany (2016).
· Performed live-electronics music for the physical theater piece “Malaise à trois” at “Festival de la création universitaire”, Angers, France.
· Performance “Buste de femme” in “Fuenfzehnminuten festival” in the studiobühne, Köln. choreography and dance performance by Nejma Larichi, and music by Ali Ostovar.
2015
· He has participated in the LAB called Impuls GlaubeHoffnungLiebe and Composed music for the piece “Malaise à trois” directed by Constantin Hochkeppel, premier on October at Pina Bausch Theater, Folkwang UDK. (Essen, Germany)
· “A Thin Light Behind the Fog” has been selected for the fifth annual Irish Sound, Science and Technology Convocation (ISSTC2015) hosted by the University of Limerick and Mary Immaculate College. (Ireland, Limberick)
· Rearranged the piece “Impro” by Ali Ostovar and Andrea Kofinas (AKAO), for a solo dance piece performed in Cologne, Fünfzehnminuten festival in January. Choreographer by Carla Jordao and performance by Geraldine Rosteius. (Cologne, Germany)
· Opening a dance/theater evening in Café Ada (Wuppertal) with the piece “Unknown part 1&2” (Santur, Saxophone, Viola, and Electronics). (Wuppertal, Germany)
· Participated in the SLAPS-POURRI.1 concert at “Tor Bella Monaca” Theater in Rome with the piece “Impro III” by Ali Ostovar and Andrea Kofinas. (Rome, Italy)
· Participated in the “Lente Sonora” Concert with his composition “A Thin Light Behind the Fog“ at Sala Petrolini, Castelgandolfo (Rome).
· The variation of “THEME & VARIATIONS” has been performed at TIME-BASED ACADEMY prelude Kunsthalle Düsseldorf, Germany.
· Composed a new piece in his “Intercultural/Transcultural Music” series for fixed media (tape) called Tomb-Back (2015).
· Has been invited as a lecturer at the conference with the subject of “Multicultural Music” focused on “Persian Electronic Music” from KEAMS (Korean Electro-Acoustic Music Society) at the Seoul International Computer Music Festival. (Seoul, South Korea)
2014
· “A thin light behind the fog“ had been selected for USAP (Urban Solar Audio Plant), 12-channel sound Installation, and had performed in different places in Berlin and other cities in Germany.
· Performed “A thin light behind the fog“ in a concert at the Linux Audio Conference (open-source music and sound conference) in ZKM_Cube in Karlsruhe.
· “A thin light behind the fog” has been selected for a concert dedicated to Luigi Nono at Pas-e Festival in Venice, Italy.
· Composed and performed the piece “THEME & VARIATIONS” with the members of the group, including Lea Letzel, Luisa Saraiva, Julia Gruner, and Philip Palau, during the project super-group supervised by Ari Benjamin Mayer in Tanzhaus, Düsseldorf.
· Performed his piece for prepared Santur and live-electronics, called “Le corde sul corpo” in Neuer Aula, Folkwang University, Essen, Germany.
2013
· Performed his piece “Return” for saxophone, santur, and live-electronics in Ars Electronica 2013 (Voyages of the Hero), a concert between Italian and American Music Universities and conservatories, playing in different places by Internet connections as a selected student from the conservatory of Rome. (audio link here)
· He has participated in the International Electroacoustic Festival of Monaco with his composition “Cycle” for saxophone and electronics. (Monaco)
· Performed a tape version of his piece “Return” for 21 speakers (cube ambisonic system) in Emufest 2013. (Rome, Italy)
· Performed a piece for electronic sounds called “Ab” in the S. Luca Academy in Rome, Italy.
2012
· Performed a piece for electronic sounds called “Ab” in the Maxxi Museum of contemporary art concert, which was organized by the University of Tor Vergata (Master in Sonic Arts). (Rome, Italy)
· Performed with the EPS group (Electronics, Piano, Saxophone) with a dance improvisation of a dancer from the dance School of Rome in the Music Circus, at the conservatory Santa Cecilia in Rome. (audio link here)
· Participated and collaborated as a student in the “Microp” installation realized in the Conservatory of S.Cecilia of Rome during Emufest, The Sonification of data from an experiment of INFN on the Micro-particle with M° Carmine Cella.