Born in 1973 in Tehran, Iran Safa Katebpour Shahidi began playing the piano since his childhood. He recieved his professional piano lessons and theories of music under Dr. Mehran Rouhani (Postgraduate from Royal Academy of Music).

In 1995, he earned the Performer's Certificate in Pianoforte from Trinity College of London and in 1997, the A-level of music from Oxford and Cambridge Examinations and Assessment Council. He also participated in master courses of piano held by prof. Gerhard Geretschlaeger (Professor of Vienna Conservatory), and continued his piano lessons under Haynoush Makarian, one of the most renowned piano teacher in his hometown and now It's been more than 17 years that he himself is teaching piano privately. In 2013 he moved to Los Angeles continuing his career in United States.

Performing Career: Shahidi gave several well-recieved recitals in Iran, Austria (Vienna) and the United States of America (Boston and Chicago) performing a vast repertory from Scarlatti, Bach, Mozart, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Brahms, Scriabin,...to his own compositions. In 2003, he teamed up with Bahareh Komai (one of the well-known Iranian pianists) to found a Two Pianos ensemble. For about ten years they performed most of the important two pianos' pieces among them, Suite for Two Pianos op.15 by A. Arensky, Rondo for two pianos op.73 by Chopin, Armenian Rhapsody by Arno Babadjanian, Variations on a Theme of Paganini by W. Lutoslawsky,... and many arrangements such as The Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky, Espana by E. Chabrier, Carnival of the Animals by Saint Saens and Spanish works of M. De Falla and Infante.

Composing Career: Inspired by Folklore and traditional music of his hometown Iran, Safa Shahidi has composed several pieces for piano solo and two pianos which performed by himself at his concerts. You can find in his works oriental intervals, rhythms and melodies conveyed within the framework of Western classical music which creates a blend of sounds bringing East and West culture together.

A Suite Orchestral, Fantasy in Three Movements for Piano and Strings and an individual short piece for flute, cello and the piano ordered by Orfeus Trio are among his other compositions.

Safa Shahidi

Safa Shahidi

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