Hadi Alizadeh – Persian Percussionist, Composer and Author

Hadi Alizadeh is an internationally recognized Persian percussionist, composer, and author, specializing in the traditional instruments Tonbak and Daf. Through his artistic work, he combines the rich rhythmic traditions of Persian music with contemporary musical expression.
He studied the Persian drum Tonbak with the renowned master Bahman Rajabi in Tehran, Iran. As a performer, composer, and educator, he has dedicated his career to preserving and developing Persian percussion music and sharing it with audiences worldwide.
In 2011, Hadi Alizadeh founded the ensemble Alamto and received the award for Best Instrumentalist at the international music
competition Val Tidone, Italy. In 2017, he won the First Prize at the Creole Festival Bavaria together with duo partner Gayané Sureni.
Since 2019, he has been teaching at the Nuremberg Music School, where he works as a percussion teacher and introduces students to the musical traditions of Persian percussion.

Publications

Hadi Alizadeh is also an accomplished author of educational books. His publications include:

1. Frame Drum DAF for Beginners (2010)
2. Odd Rhythms – Theory and Exercises for Odd Rhythms (2012)
3. Tonbak – Theory and Exercises (2020, German and English edition, over 200 pages)
4. Daf – Theory and Exercises (2021, German and English edition, over 200 pages)
5. Percussion (2) Voices (2023, German and English edition) In 2020, he was honored as Artist of the Month for April in the Nuremberg Metropolitan Region. By 2025, he had composed more than 100 melodies.

Concerts, Workshops and International Projects

His concerts, workshops, and masterclasses have taken him to numerous countries and cities, including Paris, Edinburgh, London, Graz, Zurich, Bern, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands.

At the invitation of the Goethe-Institut, he has performed and conducted workshops in:

6. Morocco (Fes)
7. India (Kerala)
8. Spain (Barcelona and Madrid)
9. Iraqi Kurdistan (Sulaymaniyah and Erbil)

Further artistic activities include performances and workshops at the Nuremberg University of Music, London masterclasses, and the Peace Concert at Tafelhalle Nuremberg.
As an experienced educator, Hadi Alizadeh regularly gives workshops and masterclasses on Persian percussion, Tonbak, and Daf. He has been invited to teach at cultural institutions such as the Akademie Burg Fürsteneck, where he shares his knowledge of Persian rhythms, traditional techniques, and contemporary approaches to percussion.

Theatre Collaborations

Beyond the concert stage, Hadi Alizadeh has contributed to theatre productions, combining his percussion skills with theatrical storytelling.
His theatre collaborations include:
10. “Antonius and Cleopatra” – Theater Oberammergau
11. “Krabat” by Otfried Preußler – Ingolstadt City Theatre
12. “Jason’s Journey” – Theater Mummpitz Nuremberg

Through his performances, compositions, publications, and teaching, Hadi Alizadeh continues to build a bridge between Persian musical heritage and the international contemporary music scene.