About Faramarz Payvar
Master Farâmarz Pâyvar was an Iranian composer and santur player. Payvar died on 9 December 2009 after a long struggle with brain damage. Although once perceived as marginal, the santur is now considered an important solo instrument in Persian classical music, largely as a result of his work. Over the course of his career, Payvar revolutionised its playing, led two major ensembles and made numerous recordings. In 1963, Payvar won a scholarship to study for three years in England, where he met his Irish-American first wife. He founded his own school of performance for the santur, with a novel emphasis on arpeggiated figures reflecting an openness to "Western" influence. By 1959 he had founded the nine-member National Instrumental Orchestra of the Ministry of Arts and Culture.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.