Arash Rokni Pianist

Arash Rokni was born in Tehran, Iran. His mother’s attempts to learn the traditional Iranian instrument “setar” and his father’s interest in Western classical music sparked his interest in music. Arash attended the Tehran Music School under the direction of Tamara Dolidze, who was a great inspiration for the path Arash has since taken.

After being encouraged in Armenia by Giorgi Raphaelowitch Avanesov and Ashot Ghazarian, he began his studies with Markus Tomas at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Leipzig and later with Claudio Martinez Mehner at the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln. He is also mentored by Nina Tichman (piano) and Anthony Spiri (chamber music).

Arash has also had the privilege of working frequently with  Andreas Staier and also with Ferenc Rados, Rita Wagner, Andreas Kemenes, Mahan Esfahani, and Robert Levin.

He has given concerts and participated in festivals and competitions in Iran, Armenia, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Denmark. He won the fourth prize at the “Aarhus International Piano Competition” and the second prize and audience award at the “21st Johann Sebastian Bach Competition” in Leipzig, Germany.
Since his success at the Bach Competition, Arash has performed as a soloist in major halls such as the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Gewandhaus zu Leipzig, Schumann Saal Düsseldorf, BASF Ferienhaus and NDR Sendesaal Hannover.

His performances have been broadcast by WDR, MDR and NDR. 

Arash is very active in the field of chamber music. Together with pianist Julia Polinskaja, he founded the piano duo “Noema” and gave concerts in Germany and Spain and was awarded the scholarship of the German Music Council in 2022.

His interest in 18th and 19th-century performance practice led him to study fortepiano with Gerald Hambitzer and to receive regular instruction from Andreas Staier and Michael Borgstede (harpsichordist) in Cologne, and he has since been heard in numerous performances on period keyboard instruments. His debut CD, recorded on a fortepiano and a modern piano, received positive reviews and was nominated for the Opus Klassik 2020.

Arash is currently a Professor-Assistant in the University of Music and Dance Cologne and a Substitut- Professor at the University of Music, Theater and Media Hannover.