Yarava Music Group to Showcase Contemporary Iranian Composers Online
As part of the ongoing contemporary music concert series by the Yarava Music Group, “Persian Night 11” is scheduled to be held online on November 30 (9 Azar) at 9:00 PM (1399/9/9 9:00 PM). The program features the works of nine contemporary Iranian composers, including prominent figures such as Alireza Mashayekhi and Fozie Majd, performed by nine musicians.
Mehdi Jalali, Art Director of Yarava Music Group, told IRNA: “We organized a similar program about ten years ago, so this is not a new experience for Yarava.”
COVID-19 and the Shift to Online Performance
Jalali explained that while the event had been planned years in advance, the limitations imposed by the pandemic forced fundamental changes. “The most significant adjustment was shifting from an in-person concert to an online performance,” he noted.
Regarding the format, Jalali stated: “The musicians recorded their pieces individually. These recordings will be uploaded to Yarava’s Instagram page at the scheduled time, and the final full version of the concert will be archived on the group’s YouTube channel.”
Masters of Contemporary Music Performing Their Own Works
Highlighting the participation of leading figures, Jalali mentioned that the concert spans several generations of male and female Iranian composers. “While distinguished musicians are performing, a particularly noteworthy aspect is that some composers will be performing their own works.”
He described the repertoire as diverse: “The pieces are written in various styles; some utilize extended techniques beyond conventional playing methods, while others fall into the category of avant-garde music.”
Key Highlights of the Program
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The piece Dialogue88 No. 3 (1988) for Piano by Fozie Majd—a pioneer of modern music in Iran—will be performed by Layla Ramezan. Ramezan has previously performed this piece in cities like Paris, Toronto, and Lausanne. This specific recording for Persian Night 11 took place in Switzerland.
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A world premiere of Etude Transcendal (2020) for piano and percussion will be performed by the composer himself, Shahrokh Khajenouri. This marks Khajenouri’s first official performance as a pianist in 12 years, his last being at Roudaki Hall in 2008.
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Mehdi Jalali will perform Interlude for Guitar, a piece written for him by Abolfazl Rahbarian(now based in Florence, Italy) back in 2007.
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Alireza Mashayekhi, the international legend of Iranian modern music will have his works Crystal No. 1 and 2 performed by Belgium-based pianist Parisa Golshan. Jalali noted, “Mashayekhi is arguably the most influential figure here; most Iranian musicians had their first experience with modern music through his works.”
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Composer, guitarist and translator Alireza Amirhajebi will perform the world premiere of Cancion from his Five Spanish Serenades for solo guitar.
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Yasamin Shahhosseini will perform Style Brisé by Sara Abazari (Artistic Director of the Tehran International Electronic Music Festival).
- Breakdance by Mehdi Behboudi, an artist who describes himself as an “auditory synthesizer.”
- Secret in three movements for soprano by Mersedeh Gholami, performed by Shaghayegh Bagheri (who also wrote the lyrics).
- One Day the Bird Will Be Free a piece by Aida Shirazi, a young US-based composer, will be performed by Asal Karimi, a violinist based in Hanover, Germany.
Pieces
Alireza Mashayekhi
Kristall I and Kristall II, op. 113, for Piano (1995)
Piano: Parisa Golshan
Kristall, which comprises Kristall I and Kristall II, is the fourth piece in Mashayekhi’s quintuple series. Here we move toward the end of an illusionary journey. Both parts were composed using the persian melodic intervallic system of “Dashti” The main theme of Kristall I is used in the coda of Mashayekhi’s Iranian Symphony (Symphony No. 5).
Fozie Majd, Dialogue 88 for Piano No. III (1988)
Piano: Layla Ramezan
This piece is written in 1988 in three movements and was premiered by the composer in the same year. Each movement consists of dialogues between different musical elements. In the third movement we can hear a dialogue between arpeggios and clusters. This piece is written in freeform with bar lines dividing the different sections. The reverberations of the clusters divulge the intended harmonic combinations, rewarding careful and intent listening.
Shahrokh Khajenouri
Etude Transcendal (2020) (World Premiere)
Piano: Shahrokh Khajenouri
For piano, various exotic instruments, electronics, art installation and movement performance et al. It surveys through the sounds, hidden harmonics, timbre, silence…… one by one as well as intertwined within the vast manifestation towards a musical process and sorrounding atmosphere so far………/
Written/improvised particularly for the „9 9 99“ – concert on 29 nov. 2020.
Sara Abazari, Style brisé for Oud (2018)
Oud: Yasamin Shahhosseini
The piece represents several culturally and historically preformed materials from many of Oud’s different traditions and playing techniques. Moments and spaces of discontinuity into empty, deformed, broken fragments (of style brisé or stille brise).
Alireza Amirhajebi
Canción Spanish Serenade for Guitar (2017) (World Premiere)
Guitar: Alireza Amirhajebi
Cancion is a form of a short music piece with roots lying in Spanish traditional music. It mostly represents emotional feelings of lovers. In this Cantabile form, the composer tries to create moments when music might relate to the human soul, either with Cantors (Singers) or Players.
In this series of Spanish Serenades, a short Cancion plays the role of a simple bridge to another Serenade with the same tune which has been heard before.
Abolfazl Rahbarian, Interlude for Guitar (2007)
Guitar: Mehdi Jalali
This piece is free in form, While it is not very committed to tonality, on its way it passes through some clearly tonal passages. In such a melodic atmosphere the 6/8 rhythm prevails throughout the piece without conversion. In the backdrop of the piece, the persian soul can easily be recognized. This piece was written in 2007 for and dedicated to MEHDI JALALI. Its premiere performance was in spring of 2008 in Niavaran Palace Complex.
Mehdi Behbudi
Break Dance (2020) (World Premiere)
Performer: Mehdi Behbudi
In every breakable thing, a sound is stored that becomes free and audible only when broken.
Mercedeh Gholami
The Mystery for Soprano (2018) (World Premiere)
Soprano and Poet: Shaghayegh Bagheri
“The Mystery” was composed in the fall of 2018 in three short movements based on three poems by Shaghayegh Bagheri. Each movement is a rhetorical variation of the previous one that, alongside other musical factors, furthers expressing the semantic change in each movement.
Aida Shirazi
One Day The Bird Will Be Free for Violin (2016)
Violin: Asal Karimi
There is a white bird scrambling and singing in her cage
in hope for freedom;
In days she pounds herself to the steel bars,
And at night she sings a delicate song;
She scrambles and sings,
Her white feathers dance in the air,
And one day
The bird will be free…
- Alireza Mashayekhi
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Alireza Mashayekhi
Kristall I and Kristall II, op. 113, for Piano (1995)
Piano: Parisa GolshanKristall, which comprises Kristall I and Kristall II, is the fourth piece in Mashayekhi’s quintuple series. Here we move toward the end of an illusionary journey. Both parts were composed using the persian melodic intervallic system of “Dashti” The main theme of Kristall I is used in the coda of Mashayekhi’s Iranian Symphony (Symphony No. 5).
- Fozie Majd
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Fozie Majd, Dialogue 88 for Piano No. III (1988)
Piano: Layla RamezanThis piece is written in 1988 in three movements and was premiered by the composer in the same year. Each movement consists of dialogues between different musical elements. In the third movement we can hear a dialogue between arpeggios and clusters. This piece is written in freeform with bar lines dividing the different sections. The reverberations of the clusters divulge the intended harmonic combinations, rewarding careful and intent listening.
- Shahrokh Khajenouri
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Shahrokh Khajenouri
Etude Transcendal (2020) (World Premiere)
Piano: Shahrokh KhajenouriFor piano, various exotic instruments, electronics, art installation and movement performance et al. It surveys through the sounds, hidden harmonics, timbre, silence…… one by one as well as intertwined within the vast manifestation towards a musical process and sorrounding atmosphere so far………/
Written/improvised particularly for the „9 9 99“ – concert on 29 nov. 2020. - Sara Abazari
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Sara Abazari, Style brisé for Oud (2018)
Oud: Yasamin ShahhosseiniThe piece represents several culturally and historically preformed materials from many of Oud’s different traditions and playing techniques. Moments and spaces of discontinuity into empty, deformed, broken fragments (of style brisé or stille brise).
- Alireza Amirhajebi
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Alireza Amirhajebi
Canción Spanish Serenade for Guitar (2017) (World Premiere)
Guitar: Alireza AmirhajebiCancion is a form of a short music piece with roots lying in Spanish traditional music. It mostly represents emotional feelings of lovers. In this Cantabile form, the composer tries to create moments when music might relate to the human soul, either with Cantors (Singers) or Players.
In this series of Spanish Serenades, a short Cancion plays the role of a simple bridge to another Serenade with the same tune which has been heard before. - Abolfazl Rahbarian
-
Abolfazl Rahbarian, Interlude for Guitar (2007)
Guitar: Mehdi JalaliThis piece is free in form, While it is not very committed to tonality, on its way it passes through some clearly tonal passages. In such a melodic atmosphere the 6/8 rhythm prevails throughout the piece without conversion. In the backdrop of the piece, the persian soul can easily be recognized. This piece was written in 2007 for and dedicated to MEHDI JALALI. Its premiere performance was in spring of 2008 in Niavaran Palace Complex.
- Mehdi Behbudi
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Mehdi Behbudi
Break Dance (2020) (World Premiere)
Performer: Mehdi BehbudiIn every breakable thing, a sound is stored that becomes free and audible only when broken.
- Mercedeh Gholami
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Mercedeh Gholami
The Mystery for Soprano (2018) (World Premiere)
Soprano and Poet: Shaghayegh Bagheri“The Mystery” was composed in the fall of 2018 in three short movements based on three poems by Shaghayegh Bagheri. Each movement is a rhetorical variation of the previous one that, alongside other musical factors, furthers expressing the semantic change in each movement.
- Aida Shirazi
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Aida Shirazi
One Day The Bird Will Be Free for Violin (2016)
Violin: Asal KarimiThere is a white bird scrambling and singing in her cage
in hope for freedom;
In days she pounds herself to the steel bars,
And at night she sings a delicate song;
She scrambles and sings,
Her white feathers dance in the air,
And one day
The bird will be free…