Sweet Scent of Love

About the Artist
Born in 1957, in the northern part of Iran by the Caspian Sea, Bijan Mortazavi started playing violin at the tender age of three. In Tehran, he was trained by five of the most respected and well-known violinists; thereby learning specific techniques, such as Improvisation, Orchestration, Arrangement, Quarter Tone, Scale, and such.

At the Young age of seven, this talented child started his training in playing the piano, guitar, percussion, and folklore string instruments, such as "Oud", "Tar", and "Santur".

Bijan won first prize among students of all ages in a national contest at age eleven. He was fourteen when he assembled a thirty-two man orchestra, performing his own compositions and arrangements at the famous "Ramsar Summer Camp" in Iran.

After having graduated from high school, Bijan moved to the United Kingdom. There he pursued his academic interest in the field of Civil Engineering while continuing with his performances and his violin training.

In 1979, Bijan moved to the United States, continued his music education at the Texas State University and settled in California in 1985. He released his first album which was a best seller in 1990. What sets Bijan apart from other performers, is his ability to personally play all the instruments used in his arrangements. The national and international tours beginning in 1990 brought Bijan to sold-out audiences throughout the world.

On July 3, 1994 , after thirty-four years of playing the violin, Bijan Mortazavi became the first Iranian performer to display his indisputable talent at the "Greek Theatre". One of the pieces played during this concert entitled "Epic" had been written by him when he was eleven years old. He changed the conduction of his concerts to a large scale symphony orchestra including string, brass, and electronic keyboard sections.

Recently, Bijan has been honored as the first Iranian artist to be sponsored by the Nederlander Productions, Jeep Eagle, New Dodge, and Chrysler Corporations. Bijan has also presented his music at concert halls in Melbourne and Sydney, Australia, New York's Lincoln Center, and San Francisco's Mesonic Center.