SEPTEMBER 12, 2012
World Music Institute Opens New Season With Salgar Aghili & The Haminavazan Ensemble
Iranian Vocalist Headlines Evening Of "Persian Meditations"
New York's venerable World Music Institute kicks off its 2012-2013 season with an evening of "Persian Meditations", featuring Iran's Salar Aghili backed by the Hamnavazan Ensemble at Peter Norton Symphony Space on Sunday, September 30th.
For more information on WMI's upcoming season - which includes performances from Spanish flamenco Diego el Cigala, Congolese afropopsters Staff Benda Bilili and Zimbabwean legend Thomas Mapfumo.- consult the WMI website.
The full press release for the opening concert is reprinted below:
This program of highly ornamental, improvisational and meditative music brings together celebrated singer Salar Aghili, one of the foremost Persian classical vocalists of his generation, with the Hamnavazan Ensemble featuring Hossein Behroozinia (barbat - lute) and Saeed Farajpoury (kamancheh- spike fiddle), two renowned maestros from the Dastan Ensemble; Harir Shariatzadeh (piano, daf - frame drum); and Behnan Masoumi (tombak- goblet drum, daf). Their repertoire features centuries-old Persian music, and new approaches to rarely heard songs of the past century.
Salar Aghili, born in Teheran in 1977, has studied under the guidance of Sediq Taarif and combined training in the vocal repertoire of the old tradition with the delicate contemporary style of master Mohammad Reza Shajarian. As a young and distinguished vocalist, he has gained attention internationally through his collaboration with musicians, composers and ensembles including the Tehran Symphonic Orchestra, the Iran National Orchestra and the Dastan Ensemble. His extensive credits include prestigious music festivals throughout the world, and acclaimed recordings.
The Hamnavazan Ensemble, now making its New York debut, is dedicated to the perpetuation of Iran's great musical heritage. The ensemble recently toured North America with Parissa. Hossein Behroozinia, whose work was described in the LA Times as "spectacular musicianship," has collaborated with many of the preeminent voices in Persian music such as Mohammad Reza Shajarian, Shahram Nazeri, Sima Bina, Iraj Bastami and Ali-Reza Eftekhari, and was a member of the Mowlana and Araf ensembles. He studied with masters Reza Vahdani, Mansour Nariman and Mohammad Reza Lotfi. Saeed Farajpoury, toured with Mohammad Reza Shajarian and performed with the Sheyda, Aref, Avat, and Ava ensembles; he studied with masters Hassan Kamkar, Mohammad Reza Lotfi and Hossein Alizadeh.
This program is made possible in part with public support provided by the New York State Council on the Arts, a State agency, and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.