Golriz Shayani

Golriz Shayani is a PhD candidate in Ethnomusicology. Her current research focuses on contemporary Persian Christian songs in diasporic Iranian churches. In her dissertation, Golriz examines how diasporic Iranian Christians understand and enact connections between worship practices, nationality, gender, and culture through contemporary Christian worship music.

She has also done research in hand-woven carpet workshops in Iran and women weavers’ songs. Her article, Weaving Persian Rugs with Mothers’ Lullabies, is published in Ajams Media Collective. She has also participated in a joint project on gendered soundscapes, and connection between gender existence and resistance, supported by The Canadian Council for the Arts. Golriz has presented papers in national and international conferences such as Society for Ethnomusicology (SEM), Association for the Study of the Middle East and Africa (ASMEA), and Christian Congregational Music (CCM). She is also a member of UT Middle Eastern Ensemble (BEREKET) where she plays Persian setar and tar.

Golriz received her Bachelor of Music (2017) and Master of Music (2019) from the University of Northern Colorado (UNCO) in The Performance of Classical Guitar. At UNCO, she taught guitar lessons and coached the guitar ensemble as her teaching assistantship. She also holds a BS in Electronic Engineering from Iran, her home country.