LIFEM | 13-16 November 2024

Mahan Esfahani

First broadcast on Saturday, 7th November 2020 at 7.00pm (GMT)


Generously supported by


Mahan Esfahani has made it his life's mission to rehabilitate the harpsichord in the mainstream of concert instruments, and to that end his creative programming and work in commissioning new works have drawn the attention of critics and audiences across Europe, Asia, and North America. He was the first and only harpsichordist to be a BBC New Generation Artist (2008-2010), a Borletti-Buitoni prize winner (2009), and a nominee for Gramophone's Artist of the Year (2014, 2015, and 2017).

He can be frequently heard as a commentator on BBC Radio 3 and Radio 4 and as a host for such programs as Record Review, Building a Library, and Sunday Feature, as well as in live programmes with the popular mathematician and presenter Marcus du Sautoy; for the BBC’s Sunday Feature he is currently at work on his fourth radio documentary following two popular programmes on such subjects as the early history of African-American composers in the classical sphere and the development of orchestral music in Azerbaijan. Born in Tehran in 1984 and raised in the United States, he lived in Milan and then London for several years before taking up residence in Prague.

Programme - Saturday 7th November 2020, 7.00pm (GMT) - Online

Mahan Esfahani harpsichord

Orlando Gibbons (1583-1625)

Great’ Pavan in G
The Woods So Wilde

John Bull (c. 1562-1628)

Les Bouffons
Fantasia on a theme by Sweelinck

Giles Farnaby (c. 1563-1640)

Fantasia X

Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck (1562-1621)

Fantasia Chromatica    
Mein Junges Leben hat ein End

Samuel Scheidt (1587-1654)

Also geht’s, also steht’s

William Byrd (c. 1540-1621)

Ut-re-mi-fa-sol-la

Approx. 60 mins, no interval.