Pournazeri formed the Shamss Ensemble with a vision of bringing back the lost art of
Tanbour through compositions that fused the
Tanbour with other traditional classical mode instruments. He invited fellow musicians who were familiar playing such classical pieces, they eventually became a popular musical ensemble in Iran. Initially, the group performed under the name of
Tanbour-e-Shams, but adding traditional and Kurdish music to their performances, they took the name of the Shamss Ensemble. The Shamss Ensemble has performed at over 300 international venues and was on tour in the United States in 2008 during the month of October. == Members ==