Quartet Diminished is an accomplished group with a distinctive collective sound. There are just enough Middle Eastern elements to remind the listener of their origins, yet they also possess an international identity and a skill set comparable to top musicians anywhere in the world.
⁃ Mark Sullivan (All About Jazz Magazine)“Deerand” is one of the boldest and most challenging works of the year. (autopoietican)No matter what happens, they will raise the temperature to the highest possible level.(Zachary Nathanson)
Ehsan Sadigh
Ehsan Sadigh is an Iranian composer and multi-instrumentalist based in Iran/Canada known for his contemporary / prog-jazz works and avant Persian musical. As the founder of the Quartet Diminished and the collaborative Rondo Projects, his music is characterized by intricate compositions and improvisation. Sadigh's portfolio includes scores for award-winning films, theatre, and dance productions, alongside a vibrant international performance career across Iran, Europe and North America.
Quartet Diminished
Quartet Diminished is an avant-jazz ensemble founded in 2013 by guitarist and composer EHSAN SADIGH. Currently based between Tehran, Strasbourg and Montreal, the group has carved out a unique sonic identity by weaving together the intricate textures of Persian traditional music with the raw energy of progressive rock, avant-jazz, and 20th-century classical-symphonic compositions.
Over the past decade, the quartet has released four studio albums, garnering international recognition. Their work is characterized by a seamless blend of contemporary improvisation and structured avant-garde arrangements, a style that has seen them signed to prestigious labels such as HERMES Records (Iran) and MOONJUNE Records (USA).
The group’s evolution has been marked by high-profile collaborations with legendary figures in the global music scene. Notable guest artists include the iconic TONY LEVIN (King Crimson, Peter Gabriel) and touch guitarist MARKUS REUTER, both of whom featured on the album Deerand, as well as COLIN BASS (The Camel), who contributed to Station III. The ensemble also honors the legacy of late member Peter Soleimanipour, whose influence remains a cornerstone of their musical journey.
Ensembles,
Throughout his career, Sadigh has organized projects ranging from duos, trios, quartets and quintets to variable ensembles across different countries. These ventures include fully composed ensembles performing his original works, collaborations with world-class musicians, and free improvisation sessions, both in live performance and studio recordings.
His discography and performance history span from the Ehsan Sadigh Trio in Tehran (the album Diminished) to his trio with Vasco Trilla and Liba Villavecchia in Barcelona (featuring two albums), as well as the Ehsan Sadigh Quartet in Montreal and various impromptu collaborations like "Impromtu and friends".
Film, Dance and Theatre scores
In 2021, Ehsan Sedigh received the award for Best Music Film Composition for the film Jabal at the D’iDEA Film Festival in Rome. This was followed by the 2023 award for Best Music Film Composition for the film Vanished at the Nahal Film Festival. His earlier contributions to the performing arts were also recognized in 2008 with a nomination for Best Theatre Music Composition for Cho’s Manifesto at the 26th International Fadjr Theatre Festival.Additionally, in the field of cinema and performance art, he has composed scores for several feature films that received significant international acclaim. Notably, he composed for Shahram Mokri’s Careless Crime, which won Best Screenplay at the Venice International Film Festival, and Arvand Dashtaraye’s Absence of Director, which premiered at the Busan International Film Festival. Sedigh has also developed a specialized portfolio in composing for modern dance and Butoh, creating the musical landscapes for the trilogy Andante, Allegretto, and Adagio directed by Golzar Hazfi. His work in this genre extended to international stages, including composing for performances at the International Butoh Festival in Amsterdam. His broader filmography as a composer further includes notable titles such as Headless, Deep Dive, and Janbal.
Rondo Projects
One of the projects initiated by Ehsan Sadigh in recent years began with the establishment of the Mosaic Events festival in Berlin. Known as Rondo Projects, this collaborative endeavor was founded alongside composer, conductor, and pianist Mazyar Younesi and percussionist Roshanak Rafani. The core concept of the project is a culture of continuous evolution; it functions as a platform where the original compositions of Sadigh and Younesi are reimagined through collaborations with diverse local musicians in each new city or "round."
By blending elements of minimalism, avant-garde, folk music, and contemporary jazz, Rondo Projects transforms its sonic landscape based on the unique contributions of its guest performers. Beyond its inaugural ensemble, the project has expanded its horizons by collaborating with musicians such as bass player Toofan Nasehi for a performance in Tehran, Esmail Pirhadi (Cetera instrument) at the Stadtgarten in Cologne, Vasci Trilla on drums in Jazz festival Portuga, Valentin Schuster on drums in B-flat Berlin and clarinetist Ruben Staub in Berlin. Having performed at iconic venues like Galiläakirche and Panda Platforma, the project remains a celebration of collective improvisation, where each performance offers a fresh and unexpected interpretation of the composers' original vision.
Silence Brings Free-Thinking: “Station Three” is a platform for new experiments in form.
⁃ ILNA.ir
Quartet Diminished is, by far, the most innovative contemporary music group in Iran. For ten years, they have advanced humbly, without any support, defiantly and inventively — building something that Iranian music now owes to them.⁃ Ramin Sadighi (Hermes Records)
Quartet Diminished brilliant jazz-progressive ensemble ....
An organological journey in which the endless possibilities of sound and the boundaries of music are challenged.⁃ progressivamenteblog.blogspot.com
Their music originates from the point where progressive classical music and jazz intertwine.⁃ David Luhrssen (shepherdexpress.com)
In this work, Quartet Diminished strives to shine within the framework of a luminous style of modern, technical jazz.⁃ jazzma.hu
Listening to “Deerand” can be challenging, but if you embrace it as contemporary avant- garde music, it stands among the finest in the genre.⁃ Crotchety Man
“Deerand” not only marks a new chapter in the group’s musical path, but also solidifies their status as pioneers of contemporary experimental music. The album is proof that music is not merely a form of entertainment, but an aural experience that invites the listener to reflect on the time and space in which these sounds resonate.
⁃ Marcin Puławski (Newsy) laboratoriummf.com
Quartet Diminished is, first and foremost, a battle scene where notes, modes, and rhythms bring their histories together and meet. But wouldn’t this mix of influences risk falling into chaos? Musicologist Carl Dahlhaus once suggested we should not talk about “identities” in music, but rather use the word “Wesen” — best translated as “being,” or more precisely, “consciousness of being.”⁃ Marcello Nardi
Any music lover interested in discovering the best in jazz-prog should pay attention to what Quartet Diminished has released so far, beyond the usual European-American circuits.⁃ César Inca M. Loyola
I was honoured to be asked to participate on the latest album by my friends in Tehran, Quartet Diminished, purveyors of an original blend of prog, jazz, classical, and Iranian influences. I contributed words, vocals, and bass to the track “Rhapsody” — an epic journey from a ruminative beginning through great ensemble playing and challenging time signatures. The whole album is, by turns, fierce, gentle, and celebratory.
⁃ Colin Bass (The Camel)
It is not usual for me to review an album by Iranian artists, but when a label such as MoonJune shows interest in releasing such borderless music, we must look toward countries that are perhaps not familiar to us in this regard. Today, MoonJune plays a significant role in world music, and we should be grateful. This album features the participation of two remarkable guest musicians — Tony Levin and Markus Reuter — so be ready for music from an extraordinary culture, where through its four tracks we can enjoy a stunning fusion of avant-garde jazz, classical music, and even a touch of rock. They hypnotize us: after a long calm, the rhythm changes, becoming slightly more dramatic, faster, and filled with more captivating elements... changes in tempo and...
⁃ Guillermo Urdapilleta (The RockTologist / Progarchives)
In recent decades, few groups like Quartet Diminished have so profoundly absorbed the sounds of their surrounding environment. ⁃Maestro Hossein Alizadeh
For those who are drawn to a boundary-breaking style of music, they blend elements of jazz, world, and classical music.⁃ All About Jazz Magazine
In the track “Tehran (II)”, as the seconds pass, it may seem repetitive, but the phrases are never exactly the same — new elements are introduced in each cycle, giving each section its own distinct character. ⁃The RockTologist / Progarchives
If this is not the best prog work, then what is? An extra guitar solo
breaks everything open to explore the boundaries between prog, avant- garde, and related branches, all on an astonishingly minimalist level.
With collaborators like Tony Levin (Chapman Stick) and Markus Reuter (Touch Guitar), Quartet Diminished combines the best of both genres without falling into academicism." ⁃ Jazz Halo
Deerand blends jazz, classical, and world music (drawing from Persian traditions) to create cosmic soundscapes. The album oscillates between chamber rock, chaotic jazz, and dramatic jazz-rock surges."⁃ Echoes and Dust
Quartet Diminished defies expectations. Their music transcends geopolitical boundaries, merging progressive rock with avant-garde jazz."⁃ Progression.net
From Tehran comes a quartet worthy of praise, aiming since 2012 to leave its mark not only in Iran but globally.⁃ Six Degrees Entertainment, Kapabani Ton Hxon