Tales from the Orient

Leader of The Awakenings Ensemble, Michael Pignéguy is a composer and performer who has worked extensively within the fields of jazz, orchestral and world music. He balances commissions by orchestras from around the world with his own projects which have seen him perform in USA, Italy, Australia, Africa, Malaysia, Singapore, The United Arab Emirates, Qatar and New Zealand. He also leads world music act The Awakenings Ensemble in performances in USA (Jazz at Lincoln Center), the Middle East, Asia and around Australia.

Mohammed was born and raised in the vibrant city of Beirut, Lebanon, where his profound passion for music took root. Starting with the trombone at a tender age, he soon fell in love with the mesmerising tones of the Oud at 13. This led him to the esteemed halls of the Conservatoire of Music in Beirut, where he honed his craft.

Over the years, Mohammed has graced the stage alongside renowned Lebanese vocalists and in addition has earned the distinguished Army Appreciation Award for his heartfelt performances for the Lebanese Armed Forces. In 2014, he embarked on a new musical journey in Perth, Australia, collaborating with diverse world music ensembles in Western Australia.

Mohammed's mission is to enchant audiences with the enchanting sounds of Middle Eastern music, masterfully expressed through his skillful Oud playing.

Esfandiar Shahmir is a world class ney and daf player. Born in Tehran (Iran) Esfandiar originally studied theatre and developed a love of Persian music. This led him to form a band with singer, poet and composer Parvaz Homay which became the renowned Persian music ensemble, Homay & Mastan. Since 2004, Esfandiar has recorded many albums with this ensemble and toured around Iran and internationally including Canada, the USA, Europe and Africa. Esfandiar has also performed with UNESCO award winning Azerbaijani musician, Alim Qasimov.

Steve Richter is an Australian freelance musician who has been highly active in Western Australian’s arts scene for the past 25 years. He has diverse performance and composition experience, and plays regularly as a multi-instrumentalist (percussion, electronics, vibraphone, drums, keyboards and Latin percussion) having performed approximately 3,500 shows in multiple countries—encompassing world music, pop, orchestral, rock, and his own compositions and improvisations.

Steve has performed with the Perth Symphony, Synergy, Christine Anu, Yothu Yindi, Greg Sheehan and the WA Symphony amongst others.