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Kousha Nakhaei is a kamancheh (Persian spiked fiddle) player, violinist, music educator, and interdisciplinary artist, who studied music at York University in Toronto.
He performs from traditional Persian music and western classical music, to spur of the moment open improvisation. Kousha has collaborated with many artists including Loreena McKennitt, Peter Chin, Yo Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble, Soley Vaseghi, Keaja d’Dance, Patty Powell and many others. He also practices Contact Improvisation and Alexander Technique. Kousha is a founding member of Sarv Ensemble.
Kamānche is a Persian bowed string instrument. The body has a long upper neck and a lower bowl-shaped resonating chamber made from a gourd or wood covered with a membrane, made from the skin of a lamb, or goat, on which the bridge is set. From the bottom protrudes a spike to support the kamancheh while it is being played, hence in English the instrument is sometimes called the spiked fiddle. The strings are played with a variable-tension bow: the word "kamancheh" means "little bow" in Persian.
The kamanche is used in Classical Perisan music as well as in a variety of folk musical cultres in Iran, and other Middle Eastern cultures.
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