DeutschIncense of Music 55
Rondo Projects — Edition Berlin No. 1
A multisensory concert – Friday, 24 May 2024, 8 pm
Ehsan Sadigh: guitar
Mazyar Younesi: piano, voice
Roshanak Rafani: percussion
Niki Yaghmaee: viola
Golsana Shenasaei: cello
Ruben Staub: clarinet, bass clarinet
PANDA Platforma in der Kulturbrauerei, Knaackstr. 97, 10435 Berlin
In its 55th concert, Incense of Music presents a musical project by Iranian musicians and their international collaborators. Rondo Projects takes its name as a testament to a series of collaborative musical endeavors initiated by Ehsan Sadigh, an accomplished composer and guitarist, and Mazyar Younesi, a versatile composer and pianist. Together with the multifaceted percussionist Roshanak Rafani, they began their musical journey in October 2023 in Berlin. Each edition of Rondo Projects sees the trio collaborating with diverse musicians and instrumentalists — for this Edition Berlin No. 1, with viola player Niki Yaghmaee, cellist Golsana Shenasaei, and clarinetist Ruben Staub. The music of Rondo Projects reflects the lived musical experience of its members, placing significant emphasis on improvisation both within the composition process and on stage.
For guests who are particularly sensitive to smoke, this event is not recommended.
Galbanum
Mastic
Mastic
Artists
Ehsan Sadigh — guitar
Ehsan Sadigh, born 1980 in Iran, is an accomplished Montreal-based artist specializing in guitar and composition. He is a well-established composer, renowned for his contributions to film scores and ensemble performances. Ehsan is the founder and leader of Quartet Diminished, a contemporary jazz band with three albums published by Hermes Records. Collaborating with musicians such as Colin Bass, Tony Levin, and Markus Reuter, an upcoming album is set for release by MoonJune Records in 2024. As an individual composer and performer, he has collaborated on various albums, including "AX," published by Discordian Records, alongside Spanish drummer Vasco Trilla and Barcelona-based saxophonist Liba Villavecchia.
Mazyar Younesi — piano, voice
Mazyar Younesi is an Iranian pianist, composer, conductor, and singer. His musical journey began with learning the tombak. He later taught himself the setar, studying the Radif of Iranian music. He chose piano as his primary instrument and completed his M.A. in composition at the University of Tehran. Since 2008, Mazyar Younesi has been involved with the Austrian Cultural Forum, and has served as artistic director and conductor of the Iran-Austria Symphony Orchestra (AISO) since 2014. He composes music for numerous films, series, and animations.
Roshanak Rafani — percussion
Roshanak Rafani, born 1994 in Iran, is a multi-dimensional Berlin-based percussionist. Her diverse background in both Iranian and classical music has enabled her to transcend conventional genre boundaries. Specializing in instruments such as Daf and Tombak, she has showcased her talents internationally, including with the Mahbanoo Ensemble. A graduate of percussion performance from the Barenboim-Said Akademie in Berlin, she has extensive experience performing with orchestras such as the Austro-Iranian Symphony Orchestra (AISO), Junge Philharmonie Berlin, and the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra under Daniel Barenboim.
Niki Yaghmaee — viola
Niki, an Iranian multi-instrumentalist, started his musical journey in 2007, specializing in violin and viola. Graduating with a degree in performing viola from UASTF11 Music, he's showcased his fusion/experimental talents on the plugged violin at live events across Iran, Turkey, and Europe. Niki's repertoire spans solo performances, orchestral contributions, and collaborations with ensembles. Following the release of a fusion album with "Talangor Band," he transitioned to producing alternative hip-hop beats featuring the violin. This shift marked a pivotal moment, reflecting his eagerness to explore diverse genres and techniques. Additionally, Niki founded "Duos Duet," a violin-cello duo, where he assumes roles as a musician, producer, and director. In Autumn 2023, he joined the Rondo Projects as the first collaborators in Berlin for the Mosaic Jazz Festival and in their upcoming project in spring 2024, Edition Berlin No. 2 he collaborates with them once again.
Golsana Shenasaei — cello
Golsana Shenasaei is an Iranian cellist, composer, and sound designer based in Berlin, with more than a decade of professional experience performing with orchestras, ensembles, theater productions, and festivals across Iran and Europe. She has been a member of ensembles including the Tehran Philharmonic Orchestra, the Austro-Iranian Symphony Orchestra, the Nilper Symphonic Orchestra, and the Tehran Contemporary Ensemble, performing repertoire ranging from classical symphonic works to contemporary compositions. In 2017 she co-founded the duo Duos Duet with violinist Niki Yaghmaee, creating cinematic, classical-world crossover and experimental music rooted in their classical training and Iranian heritage. Her own practice combines improvisation, live looping, and field recordings, using Ableton Live to merge acoustic cello with electronic textures in both recorded and live performance.
Ruben Staub — clarinet, bass clarinet
The clarinetist, composer, and arranger Ruben Staub, delves into a musical fusion of Jazz, Classical, Contemporary, and Global influences. He completed his Bachelor of Music at Hochschule für Musik Detmold before earning his Masters degree at Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler. Masterclasses with artists like Giora Feidman and Sharon Kam, coupled with lessons in Jazz-Improvisation and -Composition from David Friedman, Hayden Chisholm, and Maria Baptist, shaped his artistic journey. While initially involved with orchestras like the Sinfonieorchester Münster and Kammerakademie Potsdam, Ruben shifted focus to his own compositions. His works, exploring the intersection of composition and improvisation, have been released by Sungroove Records and !K7 Records, and aired on German radio stations. Through concert tours across Europe, India, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, and Costa Rica, collaborating with musicians from diverse traditions, Ruben synthesizes his classical foundation with varied cultural exchanges to craft his unique musical identity. In spring 2024, he collaborates with Rondo Projects on the Edition Berlin No. 2.
Incense
Mastic, also known as mastiha, is a resin from the mastic tree (Pistacia lentiscus), an evergreen shrub found across the Mediterranean, though the resin from the Greek island of Chios is especially renowned. Incisions in the bark release a clear sap that hardens in the air into brittle, pale yellow tears.
On Chios, mastic has been harvested since antiquity and was known in ancient Greece and Rome as a chewing gum and flavoring agent. Traditional Chios mastic harvesting today holds protected designation of origin status within the EU. Over the centuries, the resin also found wide use in traditional medicine, including for digestive support.
As incense, mastic gives off a sweet, woody fragrance with subtle hints of pine and citrus — often described as refreshing and uplifting. It is traditionally used in religious ceremonies, meditation, and aromatherapy, believed to promote relaxation, reduce stress, and enhance focus.
Galbanum is the resin of Ferula gummosa, a tall perennial plant in the carrot family, native to the mountainous regions of Iran and Central Asia. Incisions made in the roots and lower stem release a milky sap that hardens into a yellowish-brown, gum-like resin.
Galbanum ranks among the oldest known incense materials, named in the Book of Exodus as one of the sacred ingredients of the Ketoret incense burned in the Temple of Jerusalem. It was also used in ancient Egypt and in Greco-Roman medicine, valued both as a remedy and as a component of ritual incense.
Unlike many sweet or resinous incenses, galbanum releases a sharp, green, almost bitter-herbaceous scent with hints of freshly cut grass, pine needles, and a faintly musky depth. This unusual, unmistakably "green" note makes it a prized top note in perfumery, and it has traditionally been associated with protection and energetic cleansing.