ZOFO (MUSICA VIVA AUSTRALIA)

Surely everyone who has listened to Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition has wondered about the original visual inspiration for this famous suite. Most of the art by Viktor Hartmann that stirred the composer has been lost, but six extant works can, with some certainty, be linked to various movements. While on the one hand there is a natural curiosity about the initial inspiration, the music has developed a life of its own; its vibrancy so strong that it has inspired countless visions in the minds of listeners, not to mention many colourful orchestrations including the one by Ravel.

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Happy Nowruz & Upcoming Events

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

BUY TICKETS

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

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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:

Listen to it NOW

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.

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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.

Upcoming Events:

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

#SanFrancisco #news #MahsaVahdat #KronosQuartet #SHAHMARAN #Premiere #AmaranthQuartet

Flying Carpet, Müzikhane and Queen of Serpents

I would love to update you with my ongoing or recent musical activities and my musical plans for 2019:

As you might know by joining the team of Her Yerde Sanat Derneği, an organization in south east of Turkey which provides vulnerable and refugee children (of Syrian, Iraqi, Turkish and Kurdish origin) with circus arts, I was able to design, coordinate and direct the first Flying Carpet Children Music Festival in the mesopotamia region.

Flying Carpet Festival is a volunteers-based holistic experience for children of war created by numerous world-class artists and musicians from all around the world contributing to where music and beauty is needed the most. I along with 30 other artists, performers, composers and puppeteers who travelled from all across the world to Turkey, were able to hold 150 workshops for 1500 children, 8 major performances, 5 jam nights, 3 puppet shows and 2 art installations through which we were able to reach out to more than7000 local residents and children. The project won a large grant from a grant competition that the US Embassy in Ankara holds annually.

I was also able to form the first children choir in the city of Nusaybin, a Kurdish-populated city located literally on the border of Syria which has suffered a lot through war and violence. Nusaybin Youth Choir performed with many of the invited artists throughout the festival including Luciano Chessa and Aleksandra Vrebalov.

My activities will continue throughout 2019 in Mardin, Turkey under the project Müzikhane(House of Music in Turkish) for which we are looking for funds and support. I will be spending 4-5 months per year in Turkey establishing a small music school for refugee and vulnerable children inside Her Yerde Sanat Derneği with my friend and invited artists from Flying Carpet Festival, Kevin Cortland Bishop. Kevin is an amazing and visionary musician who also helped establishing the first woman orchestra at Afghanistan National Institute of Music, the first music school founded in Afghanistan which won the 2018 Polar Music Prize. Kevin and I will be running the music department collaboratively and intend to promote the idea of music for social change both in the middle east and in the United States.

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In 2019, I will be also working on two commissions coming from my friends at One Found Sound and at Amaranath Quartet. My piece for One Found Sound (a San Francisco-based conductorless orchestra) is based on an Anatolian ancient story named Shahmaran which translates to "the Queen of Serpents". The story is an ancient Kurdish tale of Zoroastrian origins and explores the idea of true love. The piece will be premiered at San Francisco Heron Arts by One Found Sound on April 6th, 2019.

My second piece of 2019 is for my friends at Amaranth Quartet and will be premiered at National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington D.C. on May 8th, 2019 as part of Shenson Chamber Music Concert series. More details will be announced soon!

For all upcoming events and performances of my piece you can visit the events page on my website.

Thanks for your attention and time and wish you the most joyful year ahead!

Love,

Sahba

#news