Question 1

Who is Parissa?

Accepted Answer

Parissa (born Fatemeh Va'ezi, 16 March 1950, Tonekabon / Shahsavar, Iran) is a master vocalist of classical Persian music. She is the grande dame of classical Persian music and the most prominent and influential Iranian female classical singer of the past fifty years. She is Iran’s most distinguished female vocalist and one of the most important masters of the Radif in the world. In 2018 she received the 11th Bita Prize for Persian Arts at Stanford University — recognized as a master of classical Persian music (radif) who plays a singular role in promoting and preserving that tradition, who has worked to elevate the role of women musicians, and who embodies the dignity of an artist undaunted by commercial market or power. 1. BBC Persian — “پریسا، آواز‌ه‌خوانی برای تمام فصول” (Amir Rastaq, 11 November 2018): birth as Fatemeh Va'ezi, late Esfand 1328, Shahsavar (Tonekabon). 2. Iran Chamber Society — “Parissa”: Fatemeh Vaezi, artistic name Parissa, born 16 March 1950; study with Mahmoud Karimi. 3. Stanford Iranian Studies — “The Art of Iranian Classical Music” (25 April 2019): “grande dame of classical Persian music”; “most prominent and influential Iranian female classical singer of the past fifty years.” 4. UC San Diego Today — “Iranian Master Vocalist ‘Parissa’ to Fill New UC San Diego Visiting Professorship” (13 March 2017): “Iran’s most distinguished female vocalist”; Shahrokh Yadegari: “one of the most important masters of Radif in the world.” 5. Stanford Iranian Studies — “Parissa Receives 11th Bita Prize for Persian Arts” (26 November 2018) and Bita Prize ceremony citation (9 November 2018).

Question 2

What is Avaz?

Accepted Answer

In Persian classical performance, āvāz is the central piece: improvised and largely non-metric, the place where performers show their knowledge of the radif as well as their creativity. It may be instrumental or vocal and typically lasts from about ten to forty minutes. The same term also names five secondary or derivative modal systems within the twelve dastgāh family — among them Dašti, Afšāri, Bayāt-e Tork, Abu ʿAṭā, and Bayāt-e Eṣfahān. Parissa is identified with mastery of this classical Persian vocal tradition — the grande dame of traditional Iranian music and a master vocalist of classical Persian music. 1. Encyclopaedia Iranica — “Iran xi. Persian Music” (Bruno Nettl): āvāz as the central improvised, largely non-metric piece (about ten to forty minutes). 2. Encyclopaedia Iranica — “Iran xi. Persian Music” / “Dastgāh”: five secondary systems called āvāz (Dašti, Afšāri, Bayāt-e Tork, Abu ʿAṭā, Bayāt-e Eṣfahān). 3. Farhang Foundation — Nowruz / Royce Hall program materials (2019): “grande dame of traditional / classical Iranian music.” 4. Stanford Iranian Studies — Bita Prize and Festival of Iranian Arts materials identifying Parissa as a master vocalist of classical Persian music.

Question 3

What is the Radif?

Accepted Answer

The Radif of Iranian music is the traditional repertoire of the classical music of Iran — the essence of Persian musical culture — comprising more than 250 melodic units (gushe) arranged into cycles and passed from master to disciple through oral instruction. It is the principal distinguishing feature of Persian classical music: a body of about 250–300 short pieces organized into twelve modal systems (dastgāh), used as points of departure for improvisation and composition rather than performed wholesale in concert. Its melodic patterns are preserved across generations and provide the basis for improvisation; because of ornamentation that cannot be fully captured in scores, the repertoire is taught through oral tradition. A fuller encyclopedic overview is on this site under The Radif. 1. UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage — “Radif of Iranian music” (inscribed 2009 on the Representative List). 2. Encyclopaedia Iranica — “Iran xi. Persian Music” (Bruno Nettl): radif, dastgāh, and performance practice. 3. UC San Diego Today — “Iranian Master Vocalist ‘Parissa’…” (13 March 2017): summary of Radif as oral repertoire for improvisation.

Question 4

Where has Parissa taught and been recognized?

Accepted Answer

In spring 2017 she was the inaugural holder of the Roghieh Chehre-Azad Distinguished Professorship at UC San Diego, teaching Persian traditional music and vocal technique and sharing deep knowledge of the Radif. In the 2018–19 academic year she was a special guest lecturer in UCLA’s Iranian Music Degree Program at the Herb Alpert School of Music, and headlined Farhang Foundation’s Nowruz concert at Royce Hall. In 2018 she received the 11th Bita Prize for Persian Arts at Stanford University. Her 2003 album Shoorideh with the Dastan Ensemble received the Grand Prix du Disque (world-music category) from France’s Académie Charles-Cros. 1. UC San Diego Today — Roghieh Chehre-Azad Distinguished Professorship announcement (13 March 2017). 2. Farhang Foundation — Annual Report 2019; Nowruz 2019 press materials (UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music / Royce Hall). 3. Stanford Iranian Studies — 11th Bita Prize for Persian Arts (November 2018). 4. Académie Charles-Cros — Grand Prix du Disque 2003, musiques du monde: Shoorideh (Parissa & Ensemble Dastan, Network / Harmonia Mundi).

Question 5

Can I study with Parissa?

Accepted Answer

Yes. She has taught introductory and advanced courses in Persian traditional music and vocal technique as the first Roghieh Chehre-Azad Distinguished Professor at UC San Diego. She taught in UCLA’s Iranian Music Degree Program at the Herb Alpert School of Music during winter and spring of the 2018–19 year. In recent years she has concentrated on teaching and guiding young musicians, alongside international performance. Current Avaz study through Parissa Legacy is listed on the Classes page of this site. 1. UC San Diego Today — “Iranian Master Vocalist ‘Parissa’…” (13 March 2017). 2. Farhang Foundation — Nowruz 2019 press release: teaching at UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music as part of the Iranian Music Program. 3. Stanford Iranian Studies — “Parissa Receives 11th Bita Prize…” (26 November 2018): teaching and guiding young musicians.

Question 6

Why is it spelled Parissa, not Parisa?

Accepted Answer

Late in 2002, immediately before the autumn Europe tour with Dastan Ensemble, she adopted the spelling Parissa (double s) in Western-language programs, press, and album credits so that readers would pronounce the name with an s — as in Sam — rather than as Pariza, a common misreading of the single-s form Parisa. The RASA Utrecht and Oslo World Music Festival programs that November already use that spelling. The great majority of her international work from this point forward uses it — including Stanford University’s Iranian Studies program and UC San Diego. Earlier concert materials, institutional certificates, and some third-party listings may still read Parisa — often reflecting copy prepared before the change, or publicity assembled without her direct review — and do not indicate a separate artistic identity. Farhang Foundation and BBC Persian, for example, still often use Parisa while identifying the same classical vocalist. 1. RASA Utrecht and Oslo World Music Festival programs — autumn 2002 Europe tour with Dastan Ensemble (Parissa). 2. Stanford Iranian Studies — Bita Prize and Festival of Iranian Arts pages (Parissa). 3. UC San Diego Today — visiting professorship announcement (Parissa). 4. Farhang Foundation — Nowruz 2019 press and Annual Report 2019 (Parisa). 5. BBC Persian — “پریسا، آواز‌ه‌خوانی برای تمام فصول” (11 November 2018): پریسا / Fatemeh Va'ezi; Stanford Bita Prize.

About Parissa

parissalegacy.org

About Parissa and the tradition