Incorporating and Evolving Hassan Zirak's Melodic Legacy in New Kurdish Musical Compositions

This study begins with a guiding question: How are Hassan Zirak’s melodies utilized and developed in contemporary Kurdish compositions, and what impact do they have on constructing a musical identity that is rooted in the vocal heritage while engaging with the demands of the present? The central research problem is defined through the following question: In what ways have Zirak’s melodies been employed and transformed in new Kurdish musical works, and what aesthetic and structural challenges has this process raised?

The significance of the research lies in offering an analytical framework that balances authenticity with innovation. Its objectives are to describe the mechanisms of use and development and to derive a practical model for contemporary composition based on Zirak’s motifs. The scope of the research is limited temporally to the years 2000–2025 and geographically to Iraqi Kurdistan and Iranian Kurdistan. The key terms of the study—use, development, and musical composition—are defined in order to establish their operational meanings.

Chapter Two, the Theoretical Framework, comprises five sections: the historical manifestations of music in Kurdish culture; the biography of Hassan Zirak and his role in shaping identity; the foundations of composition and its evolution across musical eras; musicians and orchestras in Iran, Iraq, and Southern Kurdistan; and Kurdish song and contemporary composition in terms of structures, characteristics, and formative procedures.

Chapter Three, Methodology, outlines the analytical tools and procedures used for studying the selected samples. Chapter Four, Research Findings, establishes a general conclusion: Zirak’s melodies can be integrated into contemporary academic composition in ways that preserve their identity while enabling their technical development. This approach provides a foundation for creating a modern Kurdish repertoire based on a “preserve–transform” protocol. The research concludes with a set of findings, recommendations, and proposals, and it ends with the List of References.