The first edition of the Tehran International Contemporary Music Festival is scheduled for April 22- 29 at three venues: Vahdat Hall, Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art (TMoCA) and Iranian Artists’ Forum (IAF).
The festival categories include stage performance, lectures and free-experimental improvised performance, Mehr News Agency quoted Ehsan Tarokh, event’s executive director as saying.
In the follow up toaglobal call to musicians, 114 bands and artists submitted their entries, among which 21 were selected for stage concerts in two separate sections for Iranian and international artists, Tarokh added.
In addition, 20 musicians were selected for improvised ensemble.”According to the program, there will be lectures on April 22 and 23, and the performances will be staged from April 24 up to the closing day.”
Artists and music masters who will open the festival with speeches include Hamidreza Ardalan, Mohammad Sarir, Nader Mashayekhi, Keyvan Mirhadi, and Shahin Mohajeri. Neil Van Der Linden from the Netherlands, Stanislaw Suchora from Poland and Rezo Kiknadze from Georgia will alsospeak.
The participating countries include Belgium (Geert Callaert and Bert Helsen), Georgia (Rezo Kiknadze), Poland (Martyna Kosecka and Aleksandra Pykacz), Romania (Opia Ensemble), Sweden (Stockholm Saxophone Quartet), Switzerland (Lugano Ensemble) and Austria (Firouzeh Navaei).The Spectro Duo band comprises artists from both Poland and Iran.
The local bands include ‘Arvand’, ‘A4’ and ‘Trans-Modern’ string quartets, ‘O.R.P.’ quartet, and ‘Aanil’ guitar quartet.
The solo performances will have flute recitals by Firouzeh Navaei and Ali Choupani, violin by Arash Asadnejad, guitar by Farzin Tehranian, and double bass by Farshid Pati-Nia.
The experimental and free improvisation section will see musicians Mehdi Behboudi, Mohammadreza Govahi, Sina Sho’aei, Siavash Sojoudi and Kian Hosseini among the numerous performers.
The development and growth of musical creativity, providing facilities to present, register and introduce artworks of contemporary musicians and strengthening cultural diplomacy with a focus on contemporary music in the international arena, are some of the important goals of the festival, said Tarokh, expressing hope that the first edition will be a quality musical event.
The festival, an independent cultural and artistic endeavor, is planned to be held annually, with the support and cooperation of cultural and artistic institutions and associations.
