Majid Amani is a Kurmanj-Persian classical guitarist, dotar player, composer, music scholar, music educator, writer, and poet, based in Sydney, Australia. Majid started playing the dotar, a traditional Iranian musical instrument at the age of 5. He holds a bachelor's degree in music performance from The University of Tehran (2008), a Master's degree (performance) from The University of Arts, Tehran (2011), and a Doctor of Musical Arts (performance) from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, The University of Sydney (2022). He is a first-prize winner at the Tehran Guitar Competition (2006), a former research assistant at The Iranian Academy of Arts (2014-2018), a former teacher at the Tehran Conservatory of Music (2015-2018), and a recipient of the Henderson Postgraduate Research Scholarship from The University of Sydney (2018-2021).
Majid studied guitar with Hamid Navayi, Simon Ayvazian, Alireza Tafaghodi, Mehrdad Pakbaz, and Vladimir Gorbach. He has also taken part in masterclasses by notable guitarists such as Walter Wurdinger (professor at the Vienna University of Music and Performing Arts), the late Lily Afshar (former head of the guitar program at the University of Memphis), and Andras Csaki (professor at the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music in Budapest), etc.
As a performer, Majid has given numerous solo recitals and has collaborated with various ensembles and individuals in Iran and Australia. In Iran he has performed at the Tehran Evangelical Church, The Austrian Cultural Centre, the Niavaran Cultural Centre, Rudaki Hall, and The Iranian Artists Forum, to name a few. He has also collaborated with ensembles such as The University of Tehran Guitar Orchestra directed by Mehrdad Pakbaz, as soloist and composer, Pedram Falsafi Ensemble, and Tehran Guitar Quartet, as founder and composer. Since his move to Sydney, Australia, in 2018, Majid has continued his career as a performer, composer, and educator, giving solo recitals and collaborating with musicians and ensembles including guitarist Peter Doublinszki, composer Shervin Mirzeinali, and the PostgRadical Ensemble.
Majid’s compositions include works for solo guitar and chamber music among which 12 preludes, and 3 bagatelles for solo guitar, Invention for violin and guitar, Le Yarei for flute and guitar, and a string quartet. He has also composed and performed music for Iranian theatres. His research publications are focused primarily on Persian contemporary music and classical guitar. His poems have also been published in Iranian magazines since 2000.
Majid is currently a casual academic at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music where he teaches and conducts research.