Oliver Fartach-Naini

When he was nine years old, his German mother separated from his father and left Tehran. She went with him to Germany. Only 30 years later, Oliver first returned to Iran - with the project "Ex Oriente Lux". In Berlin in 1987-91 he studied classical guitar with Christian Bänsch (1956-2016) at the Music School Berlin-Wedding, where he himself had previously studied with Else Goguel (1924-2017) and Bruno Henze (1900-1978), and then graduated from the Hochschule der Künste Berlin under Carlo Domeniconi to lead the "Gitarrenchor Wedding" for 20 years. Oliver then also studied at the Hochschule der Künste Berlin with Laurie Randolph with a degree in music teacher's exams, and subsequently he made with L.Randolph the artist diploma at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater "Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy" in Leipzig. He then worked as a guitar teacher at the music school Berlin-Wedding. He prefers playing a guitar by Achim-Peter Gropius (born in Berlin, workshop in Reutlingen), who had once learned guitar with E.Goguel and Chr.Bänsch. During their joint studies at the Hochschule der Künste Berlin under L.Randolph, Oliver Fartach-Naini and Lee Song-Ou from Korea came together in 1991 as a guitar duo. They have recorded three CD's so far - the last in 2007 with Deutsche Grammophon with compositions by Franz Schubert, where Richard Yongjae O'Neill (viola) and Jong-Ho Park (guitar) were also involved. Oliver is very versatile, he masters - also on tours through Europe, Asia, Australia and the USA - as a soloist and with various chamber music partners the most different styles. Since 1994 he has performed with Thea Nielsen (flute) both in the classical area (CD "Buenos Aires" 1998) as well as in the field of Persian and Indian music. Th.Nielsen is married to an Iranian, discovered her passion for Persian music through the detour of the language. Through this she has enabled Oliver to come to terms with his Persian roots, for he himself can only vaguely remember the language of his childhood, the smell of starry nights and his grandparents. During her studies in 2001 she met the composer Majid Derakhshani, who composed several pieces for the duo. From these three and Amir Abbas (Iran) emerged the ensemble "Didar", which in 2004 recorded the CD "Live in Berlin". A year earlier, Oliver had already celebrated success with his ensemble "Tango Concertante" (saxophone, violin, guitar, piano, double bass) and recorded the CD "Tangos sin palabras". Edition Margaux has created a series for works composed for him and his ensembles. It is fair to say that Oliver Fartach-Naini effortlessly crosses all boundaries. And so it is hardly surprising that he has been living in Adelaide (Australia) for several years and is a guitar teacher at the "Elder School of Music" at the University of Adelaide. He also organized a festival "1st Adelaide Chamber Music School for Flute, Violin and Guitar" with six lecturers from five countries in 2006 in Downunder.[3]

Oliver Fartach-Naini performs as a soloist,[4] in duo with Korean guitarist Professor Lee Song-Ou,[5][6][7][8][9][10] German flautist Thea Nielsen[11][12][13] and as a member of the quintet "Tango Concertante".[14][15][16][17][18]

Recordings include 7 CDs[19] for Deutsche Grammophon,[20][21][22] Kreuzberg Records[23] and Acoustic Music Records.[24]

The German “Edition Margaux” publishes the “Collection Oliver Fartach-Naini”[25] which is a selection of works composers from all over the world [26][27][28] have dedicated to Oliver Fartach-Naini and his ensembles.

As a student of American guitarist and composer Laurie Randolph Oliver Fartach-Naini holds degrees from the Berlin University of the Arts and the University of Music and Theatre Leipzig in Leipzig.[29]

CD "Movement For Two Guitars
Guitar Duo Lee Song-Ou & Oliver Fartach-Naini
play Kim Myungphyo, Stephen Dodgson, Jaime Zenamon, Lee Geonyong and Lee Hunghyun
Kreuzberg Records 10020, 1997[30]
CD "Suite Buenos Aires
Thea Nielsen, Flute & Oliver Fartach-Naini, Guitar
play Máximo Diego Pujol, Gabriel SenaneS and Astor Piazzolla
Kreuzberg Records 10039, 1998[31]
CD "Frutti Di Mare
Guitar Duo Lee Song-Ou & Oliver Fartach-Naini
Play Carlo Domeniconi, Mario Gangi, Astor Piazzolla and Laurie Randolph
Kreuzberg Records 10073, 2002[32]
CD “Tangos Sin Palabras
Tango Concertante plays Piazzolla, Troilo et al.
Roland Schmitt, Saxophone; Miriam Risch, Violin; Roman Hengge, Piano; Oliver Fartach-Naini, Guitar; Oliver Potratz, Contrabass Acoustic Music Records 319.1294.2, 2003[33]
CD "Ex Oriente Lux", music from India, Iran, Austria, Germany and Argentina
Thea Nielsen, Flute & Oliver Fartach-Naini, Guitar
play Ravi Shankar, Majid Derakhshani, Thomas Wallisch, Ludger Vollmer, Coco Nelegatti
Kreuzberg Records 10091, 2004[34]
CD “Didar“ – Live in Berlin
Compositions of Majid Derakhshani (Iran)
Majid Derakhshani, Tar, Setar & Voice (Iran); Thea Nielsen, Flute (Germany), Oliver Fartach-Naini, Guitar (Germany); Amir Abbas :Zare, Daf (Iran)
Kreuzberg Records 10092, 2004[35]
CD “Winter Journey
Compositions of Franz Schubert
Richard Yongjae O'Neill, Viola, Guitar Duo Lee Song-Ou & Oliver Fartach-Naini, Jong-Ho Park, Guitar Deutsche Grammophon, 2007[36]

• ethnoclassics.com
• University of Adelaide
• Edition Margaux
• Kreuzberg Records