The idea of Persian Night was proposed in early 2008 by the artistic director of the Yarava Music Group. Following the necessary planning, three different programs were designed for that year. The goal of holding the Persian Night concerts was to honor the working and artistic status of the Iranian composer in a society that rarely gives importance to this matter.
Without prejudice towards any specific school of thought, Yarava Group performed diverse works from various composers at different levels, generations, and with distinct tastes and opinions. The only common denominator among these works was their placement in the contemporary music repertoire, or, in other words, modern music.
Persian Night 1 was dedicated to a guitar recital by Mehdi Jalali at the Niavaran Palace exclusive hall on June 21st. The program featured works for solo guitar by Shahrokh Khajenouri, Babak Al-e Heydar, Mehdi Jalali, Behrouz Rahmani, Abolfazl Rahbarian, and Arsalan Abedian.
In addition to performing pieces by Iranian avant-garde composers (all of which, except for one, were premiered), the concert used hand-made instruments by Iranian artists Rahim Gholami and Hossein Soltanzadeh. Soltanzadeh’s double-neck classical-acoustic guitar was also introduced at this event.
Persian Night 2 took place on October 2nd and 3rd at the main hall of the Niavaran Cultural Center. It featured two works for solo piano, performed by Parisa Golshan, as well as six orchestral works performed by the Yarava Modern Orchestra, conducted by Mehdi Jalali.
A key aspect of this concert, similar to the guitar recital, was the diversity and difference between the pieces. Three pieces were premiered at this event.
The concert showcased works by Alireza Mashayekhi, Shahrokh Khajenouri, Kiavash SahebNassagh, Azad Hakim-Rabet, Babak Al-e Heydar, Arsalan Abedian, and Mehdi Jalali.
Notably, Mashayekhi’s orchestral piece for viola and orchestra was performed with Laya Etemadi as the soloist. Khajenouri’s piece did not use any standard instruments; the composer utilized various tools, objects, and non-standard instruments in its creation. SahebNassagh dedicated his piece, titled “F,” to the great Iranian composer, Fouzieh Majd.
The next concert, named Persian Night 3 and the final Yarava Music Group program of the year 2008 (1387 S.H.), was held on November 7th at the Gousheh Hall of the Niavaran Cultural Center (the first concert in this hall). It featured smaller-scale works (solo or small ensemble pieces) by Shahrokh Khajenouri, Kiavash SahebNassagh, Babak Al-e Heydar, Arsalan Abedian, Ardeshir Ja’fareh, and Mehdi Jalali.
All nine pieces in this program were premiered.
Persian Night 4 was yet another effort to achieve the goals of the Yarava Music Group. This program was held on October 29, 2009 (8/8/88 S.H.) at 8 PM at the Hengam Music Education Center, featuring works by eight composers (Khajenouri, SahebNassagh, Hakim-Rabet, Rahbarian, Abedian, Sedaghatkish, Sha’bani, and Jalali) and performed by eight musicians.
In summary:
The Yarava Group performed works by 12 Iranian avant-garde composers across these programs. They also introduced composers such as Abolfazl Rahbarian, Arsalan Abedian, and Ardeshir Jofareh to the Iranian music community for the first time. Over the course of these programs, 34 works were performed, 25 of which were premieres, and 17 of the performed works were commissioned by the Yarava Music Group specifically for these concerts.
