About Road Ensemble
Founded in 2015 in Jyväskylä by Fardin Abbasi and Farshad Sanati, Road Ensemble is a professional musical ensemble dedicated to the preservation and revitalization of the traditional folk music of Iran and Kurdistan. Drawing upon ancient modal systems, intricate melodic structures, and dynamic rhythmic forms, the ensemble presents these rich musical traditions to contemporary audiences while maintaining a strong commitment to historical and cultural authenticity.
Road Ensemble engages in close collaboration with musicians from Finland and across the international music community, fostering meaningful artistic exchange and creating a distinctive soundscape that bridges diverse cultures and traditions. Through this intercultural approach, the ensemble offers audiences a profound and immersive musical experience, providing insight into the depth and vitality of Iranian and Kurdish cultural heritage.
Over the course of its development, Road Ensemble has expanded its artistic collective through the inclusion of additional musicians. In 2023, the ensemble welcomed Farzad Mehdinia, a Vocalist based in Sweden, whose work contributes expressive vocal interpretations rooted in regional folk traditions. In the same year, Sheida Sanati joined the ensemble as a Moraj player, enriching the group’s rhythmic dimension. In 2025, Khashayar Eshkevari became a member of Road Ensemble as a Kamanche player, adding the instrument’s distinctive lyrical and expressive character to the ensemble’s evolving musical identity.
SANTUR
Farshad Sanati is an Iranian santur player, musicologist, and PhD researcher based in Finland. His work focuses on Persian classical music, ethnomusicology, and cross-cultural musical collaboration.
Santur is a traditional Persian hammered dulcimer with a rich, shimmering sound. It is played by striking metal strings with two light wooden mallets, creating both rhythmic and melodic textures. The santur is a central instrument in Iranian classical music and is widely used in folk, fusion, and contemporary styles..
Ferdin Abbasi is an Iranian percussionist specializing in the daf and tombak .He has collaborated with several ensembles in Iran and Iraq and studied with musicians such as Bijan Kamkar and Farhad Pournourouz. Now based in Finland, he continues working with Iranian traditional rhythms and cross-cultural music projects.
The Daf is a large Iranian frame drum, best known for its deep, resonant sound and its powerful, trance-like rhythms.
Structurally, the daf is a wooden hoop with a stretched skin, often fitted with metal rings inside the frame that add a shimmering, rattling texture when the drum is played. The player uses both hands, combining bass strokes, sharp accents, rolls, and subtle finger techniques, which makes the instrument surprisingly expressive.
The Tonbak (also spelled tombak or zarb) is the main goblet drum of Iranian classical music. It is traditionally made from a single piece of wood with a stretched skin head, producing a wide range of tones from deep bass sounds to sharp, crisp strokes.
Played while resting on the player’s leg, the tonbak uses highly refined finger and palm techniques, allowing for complex rhythms, ornamentation, and subtle dynamic control. Unlike many percussion instruments, it functions not only as rhythmic support but also as a solo instrument with its own expressive vocabulary.
RoadEnsemble.fi truly captures the essence of Iranian folk music. Their performances are mesmerizing and authentic, transporting you to another world.
★★★★★