Today we’d like to introduce you to Chloe Pourmorady.
Chloe, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
My journey as a musician is constantly evolving. I began playing violin from a young age and loved to sing but was frightened to express my voice in public until much later. I never dreamed that I would give concerts and sing in front of hundreds of people. As a performer and a music teacher, I see this with my students – where there is a great talent; there is also an element of fear. After many years of soul-searching, I finally got to the point of feeling free with my self-expression and using my voice similarly to how I’d use my violin.
There is a lot of music in my family – my father sings and writes, my brother is a classical pianist, my aunt is a cantor, my cousins, etc. Music is a huge part of our lives. After finishing college where I mostly studied western classical music, I finally began exploring the musical styles I always wanted to. I traveled a lot with my violin; I sang many different folk styles which brought much agility to my voice, I explored other modal systems and instruments. In doing so, my composition was affected, and it continues to experience metamorphosis as I do. I love a good melody more than anything, and I put my life and spirit in every melody I write. I’m at a point in my creativity where I try to look less outwards, rather more inwards for a kind of inspiration that is pure.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
My art is the music I write. I also sing and play violin, but there are much better singers, and violinists in the world than myself and those instruments are just tools that help me express the music. If I have written a melody that you can hum, that makes you want to move, that makes you want to cry, that makes you feel love or joy, then I have done my job. My creativity is constantly developing, so one piece may sound like a bunch of Sufi’s dancing in a cave, and another may sound like a Mozart Requiem. This is just how I create. I feel I can express music in many different forms, so I hate to contain or limit that expression. I want people to feel free when they listen to it. I want people to experience a combination of sounds they may have never thought of and to understand what the diversity of my generation sounds like.
Do current events, local or global, affect your work and what you are focused on?
People listen to artists. I think every time we are on stage, we have a responsibility. To be positive, to spread light, and to connect with our audiences. Current events affect my art because as a Middle Eastern woman, I realize how powerful a woman’s voice can be, and what a blessing it is that I can use it freely. I am also more inclined to incorporate Farsi and Hebrew in my melodies because this can open a space for dialogue between countries where there is currently conflict. I strive to show how even though the languages in which I am singing are different, the message is the same.
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
Right now, I’m in the process of creating my first studio album with my amazing Ensemble. So, until that’s complete which I hope will be in May of 2019, I have many videos from live performances on YouTube and recordings on SoundCloud as well under my name. My Ensemble and I have grand visions of performing internationally, and people can support by sharing our music and just by connecting with me! I am always open to collaborations and performances in different cities and countries!
Contact Info:
- Website: chloepourmorady.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: instagram.com/chloepourmorady
- Facebook: facebook.com/chloepourmorady
- Other: youtube.com/chloepourmorady
Image Credit:
Shoshana Shoshanim (for majority of photos)
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