Dear Friends,
Happy Persian New Year! Wish you a prosperous year full of beauty and love. I would like to share with you a number of upcoming premieres, performances, and about what has been recently accomplished in the last couple of months:
Shāhmārān (2019) for One Found Sound
My new piece "Shāhmārān" (2019) for One Found Sound is based on an ancient Kurdish tale originally from Anatolia region (today's Turkey) but is known all across the Kurdish regions in Iran, Iraq, Syria and Iraq as well. The story also carries notions of Arabic culture and Zaroastrianim inside itself. The mythological character Shāhmārān is a man or a woman, half human and half snake who rules over thousands of demons and snakes underground. He/she falls in love with a human named Tahmasb, and takes him through a process of enlightenment through telling him stories of love and betrayal.
There are two events associated with this world premiere:
Q&A Session: OFS Presents... Inside the Music with Composer Sahba Aminikia
OFS Presents a presentation by Iranian American composer Sahba Aminikia. He dishes on his life, influences, music, inspirations, and the stories behind his commission for One Found Sound "Shahmaran". Moderated by the musicians of One Found Sound!Join us for free drinks and intimate conversations!
Sunday, March 24, 2019 / 2:00 PM Arc Gallery & Studios 1246 Folsom Street San Francisco, CA 94103
WORLD PREMIERE: Storytelling: our 5th Annual Gala One Found Sound is excited to bring you Storytelling, our final party of Season Six! Join us for the world premiere of Shāhmāran by composer, Sahba Aminikia, an open bar, silent auction and more!
Saturday, April 6, 2019
Heron Arts
7 Heron Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
Private Opening Reception at 6:30PM
General Admission at 7:30PM
Mahsa and Marjan Vahdat / Kronos Quartet Album is Out Now!
I am more than excited to let you that the most recent album by grammy-winning Kronos Quartet includes 14 songs and is a collaboration between Kronos Quartet and Iranian prominent vocalists and sisters, Mahsa and Marjan Vahdat. Six out of fourteen songs are arrangement by me through the process of Kronos Festival 2017 and 2018 at San Francisco SFJAZZ. The others arrangements are by my friends, Atabak Elyasi, Aftab Darvishi and Jacob Garchik. The album is published by Norwegian record label Kirkelig Kulturverksted (KKV), in association with New York-based Valley Entertainment and is available now both in CD and digital format:
Rhyme by Rhyme (2019) for Amaranth Quartet
My newest piece, Rhyme by Rhyme (2019), is commissioned by Amaranth Quartet to be premiered at National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington D.C. as part of Shenson Chamber Music series on May 8, 2019. The piece is based on poetry by 19th century Iranian iconoclast female poet Tahirih translated by dear Sholeh Wolpé whom I collaborated with before as well. The admission is free but reservation is required.
Müzikhane, Müzikhane, Müzikhane!
Müzikhane, which is born last summer out of Flying Carpet Music Festival, is a small music school dedicated to vulnerable and refugee children in south east of Turkey where since the beginning of Syrian war, millions of Syrian and Iraqi refugees are resettled. My friend and co-director of Müzikhane, Kevin Bishop came to assist me, in order to initiate this program which consists of a children strings orchestra and children choirs at several locations of Her Yerde Sanat Dernegi, a Turkish organization which has been active in the region for the last 8 years. Friendship Orchestra had its first concert on March 9th, at Istasyon, an impoverished neighborhood of Mardin in front of an audience of hundred children and adults. We are extremely proud of them! The program will continue throughout the summer of 2019.
March 19, 2019 - "Torkaman" (2018) - The Living Earth Show
March 24, 2019 - Q&A session about "Shahmaran" (2019)
April 6 2019 - "Sahmaran" - One Found Sound - World Premiere
April 25th, 2019 - One Day; Tehran (2010) - Tetra Quartet
May 3, 2019 - One Day; Tehran (2010) - Tetra Quartet
May 8, 2019 - Amaranth Quartet - Rhyme by Rhyme (2019) - World Premiere
May 9, 2019 - The Sun Rises - Mahsa Vahdat and Kronos Quartet
May 11, 2019 - One Day; Tehran - Elevate Ensemble
May 12, 2019 - One Day; Tehran - Elevate Ensemble
May 25th, 2019 - Torkaman (2018) - The Living Earth Show