Currently working as the vocalist of Kalhor Ensemble, Nourbakhsh is one of the most accomplished singers of Iranian musical compositions. He has been taught by the great masters including the late Taj Isfahani and the late Ahmad Ebadi. As a university student, he followed learning the techniques of singing under the prominent living master vocalist, Mohammad Reza Shajarian.
His collaboration with the late acclaimed Santour players including the late Faramarz Paayvar in the album "Tone of Lovers" and Parviz Meshkatian in Arref Ensemble are regarded as the glorious points of his career.
Nourbakhsh has also worked with Shahnazi Ensemble headed by Darioush Pir-Niakan and Shams Ensemble managed by Kaykhosro Pour-Nazeri.
The vocalist's friendship and cooperation with celebrated Iranian musicians, Kayhan Kalhor, the head of Kalhor Ensemble and Hossein Alizadeh dates back to more than 20 years. It has been resulted to many concerts they performed in various European, North American and Asian countries.
Expressing his pleasure of working with Kalhor Ensemble, Nourbakhsh said: "I feel a tie with the works Mr. Kalhor composes and performs. Such a feeling is due to our friendship within almost 20 years, so I'm pleased that I have joined to his band again. Moreover, the young performers who accompany us are accomplished music lovers and we have formed a good ensemble.
The experience of attending various concerts in several countries with different cultures and musical tastes has led him to conclude: "Different people showed different responses to Iranian traditional compositions and songs. In some regions, for instance in Latin American countries the audience focus on rhythm, the combination of percussion instruments and rhythmic works."
"But in a city like Paris where we simply played Kamancheh (traditional Iranian bowed spike-fiddle with a distinctive nasal sound) and sang, the listeners were mostly attracted to the type of music and the melody appealed to them. However as I pointed before, they were rather engaged with the content of music and the type of harmony between instruments and vocals than the orchestra and the number of performers," he explained.
Earlier, Nourbakhsh performed concerts with Kalhor Ensemble in Vahdat Hall of Tehran for six consecutive nights began on July 14. They intended to perform the same concerts in the city of Tabriz [in the North West of Iran] but they faced the objection of Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance's office there.
Following the tour of Iranian cities, Kalhor Ensemble then traveled to Shiraz and is now heading for Kerman [the cities are respectively located in the southwest and the central south of the country]. The next destinations will be the central city of Isfahan as well as Hamedan, Kermanshah, Rasht and Arak if only they don't confront a further ban on their concert.
Kayhan Kalhor has himself composed all works based on the lyrics by Molana Jalal-e Din Rumi, prominent Iranian poet and Sufi mystic of 13th century A.D.
A key member of the Silk Road Ensemble formed in the United States by the prominent cellist Yo-Yo Ma, Kalhor has been artistically and commercially successful over the past decade and two of his works were nominated for Grammy Awards in 2004.He came back recently to Iran after seven years for a new round of concerts scheduled to be performed in various regions of the country.
Nourbakhsh attributed one of the reasons behind the success of their Tehran concert to the sound system quality of Vahdat Hall: "At first we had a minor problem with the sound system, but after two or three nights that was resolved. Obviously when the sound quality is fine, the performance will also be fine particularly as the performers on the stage are numerous. If they could not hear the souns of their instruments, they would not be able to achieve a perfect harmony." "On the other hand, when the sound quality is good, the audience will be more satisfied. People must receive a high-quality sound to enjoy the concert." The vocalist maintained.
Referring to the general mood of the work played on, he said: "It is entirely in Nava Dastgah (musical mode) beginning with a Nava song. In the middle of the program, we always perform a piece in Dashti mode and later we go back to Nava mode. Subsequently the both modes will be harmonized."
Nourbakhsh deemed Nava mode as an appropriate means for creating works with mystical subject matters: "Nava mode is very insightful and picked by the Iranian traditional composers for its profundity. It can be likened to an old father who has gone through numerous experiences which underlie the advices he gives to his children. The old father embeds his experiences in the parables he narrates for the children."
"Nava mode has a very profound mystical implication," he added, "some modes of Iranian traditional music are romantic or joyful. But modes including Nava or Raast Panjgah are richly mystical, that's why perhaps they influence the audience in another level."
"The poems composed by Molana deeply signify Iranian-Islamic mysticism. When a musical piece is based on his poetry, it will naturally tend to Nava mode," the vocalist said.