Sunday, April 11, 3-5pm Pacific time; related talks April 8, 9, and 10
A Tour of Iran is a four-day festival of events culminating in a symphony concert featuring the New West Symphony led by Music and Artistic Director Michael Christie. Exploring centuries old traditions of Iranian poetic and musical cultural influences on the western world, award-winning mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke and Iranian instrumentalists Pejman Hadadi (tombak and daf) and Masoud Rezaei (setar) join the New West Symphony on this musical voyage. Michael Christie leads the orchestra in Western classical masterworks by Handel, Rameau, Gounod, and Mozart. Iranian composers Behzad Ranjbaran, Masoud Rezaei, and Golfam Khayam share their inspiration from Iranian sites and poetry.
Pre-Concert Talk with David Ravetch
Presented Thursday, April 8, 2021 at 6pm PT (not available on-demand)
The Pre-Concert Talk features UCLA Senior Lecturer, David Ravetch, who explores the music presented in the A Tour of Iran concert in an informative, audience-friendly format.
Culture Insights
Premieres Friday, April 9, 2021 at 7pm PT
The New West Symphony offers insights into Southern California - Iranian culture; demonstrations of traditional instruments and dance; and discussions about history, arts and music with distinguished guest artists.
Meet the Artists
Premieres Saturday, April 10, 2021 at 7pm PT
This online edition of Meet the Artists is an expansion of a longstanding New West Symphony tradition that breaks the barrier between the stage and audience seats. Enjoy a combination of biography, artistry and insight into an artist's process and talent. The guests of the Meet the Artists program include percussionist Pejman Hadidi, setar virtuoso Masoud Rezaei, and mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke.
A Tour of Iran Symphony Concert
Premieres Sunday, April 11, 2021 at 3pm PT
Michael Christie, conductor
Sasha Cooke, mezzo-soprano
Pejman Hadadi, tombak and daf
Masoud Rezaei, setar
Music by Khayam, Mozart, Ranjbaran, Rameau, Handel, Gounod, Rezaei
$25.