Zhabiz Zarbakhsh
Zhabiz Zarbakhsh started learning the piano from an early age and after entry to Tehran girl’s music school started learning the cello and graduated in that field under the guidance of Davood Jafari Omid. She completed her Master’s degree in 2007 and later in 2011 her Post-graduate in the field of cello with Doctor Armen Messropyan in Yerevan state conservatory of music named after Komitas in Armenia.
She participated in some National and International music festivals, such as: 14th International Fajr music festival in 1999 honored diploma, 2nd National youth music festival in 2001 honored diploma for the success in cello playing, 24th International Fajr music festival in 2008 the first prize as the member of Nivak Ensemble, 8th International Renaissance contest-festival in 2016 laureate first degree. She has also performed in the section of brilliant talents in 29th and 30th International Fajr music festival in 2014 and 2015 in Tehran.
She has performed Iran’s premiere of compositions for cello such as Aram Khachaturian’s “Sonata Fantasy”, Alfred Schnittke’s “Improvisation”, Gaspar Cassado’s “Suite for Cello Solo”, Arash Teymourian’s “Sonata for cello and piano”, Pedram Shekari’s “Piece for cello and piano”, “Menidan” by Kiawash Sahebnassagh, “Sonata for cello and piano” by Rebecca Ashughian and also renowned duets for violin and cello such such as Zoltan Kodaly, Maurice Ravel, Bohuslav Martinu, Reinhold Gliere, Erwin Schulhoff and numerous works by contemporary Iranian, Armenian and Italian composers.
In December 2016 as a member of Nivak Ensemble she premiered duets for violin and cello written by nine Iranian and two Italian contemporary composers such as Behzad Ranjbaran, Kiawash Sahebnassagh, Karen Keyhani, Mehdi Khayami, Alireza Farhang, Rouzbeh Rafie, Arshia Samsaminia, Idin Samimi Mofakham, Amin Honarmand, Paolo Longo and Alessandro Solbiati which most of them dedicated to Nivak Ensemble or Golriz and Zhabiz Zarbakhsh. In May 2017 she also premiered works by Iranian contemporary composers Fozie Majd and Arsalan Abedian along side with other Iranian contemporary composers at the 2nd Tehran international contemporary music festival. Zhabiz has teaching experience at Tehran University of Art as well.