Mehdi Jalali

Mehdi Jalali, born in 1980 in Tehran, began his musical education with the piano under the guidance of Mino Modarressi and Shirin Saleh during his childhood and adolescence. In 1996, after becoming acquainted with Hamidreza Mohseni, he developed an interest in traditional Iranian music. He learned traditional music with the setar from Hamidreza Mohseni (1996), the daf and tombak from Hamed Zand Karimi (1998), introductory tanbur from Mohammad Zand Karimi (1999), and tar, setar, and tanbur from Seyed Mohammad Zolfonoon (1999). He also studied the theoretical foundations of Iranian music with Arya Rostami (2000).
In 1999, along with his classmate, Ebrahim Elhiyari, he founded the traditional music group “Jamehdaran,” which remained active under this name for two years. From 2000, in addition to traditional music, he delved into classical music, learning music theory, solfeggio, harmony, composition, and classical guitar from Babak Al-Heydari (2000). During this period, he also took lessons in setar from Jalal Zolfonoon (2000). In 2001, he established the music group “Yarava” with Ebrahim Elhiyari and Hamed Zand Karimi. In the same year, concurrent with the first concert of the Yarava music group, he published the books “Entezar” and “Maral,” which included pieces for the setar.
After becoming acquainted with Alireza Mashayekhi in 2001, he turned to contemporary music and studied music theory and harmony with Alireza Mashayekhi. Concurrently, he joined the “Tehran Music Group” and began collaborating as a player of tar, setar, and percussions with the “New Music Orchestra” led by Mashayekhi. In the educational field during this period, he participated in classes on setar with Mohammad Firouzi and Masoud Shoari (2002), santur with Mehdi Setayeshgar (2002), solfeggio with Maria Aranatato Gonzales (2002), piano with Babak Al-Heydari and Clara Bocchicchio (2002), and music theory, harmony, and piano with Alireza Zavareh (2003). Additionally, he collaborated as a tambourine player with the “Kiyano Navaazan Group” led by Zolfonoon.
In 2003, Jalali initiated a new chapter in his career by forming the “Modern Yarava Orchestra” at the suggestion of Alireza Mashayekhi. In the same year, he expanded his activities in the Tehran Music Group after being selected as Mashayekhi’s assistant. During this period, he received his first lessons in conducting from Alireza Mashayekhi.