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Los Angeles Times
12-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Pacific Symphony celebrates Iranian New Year with Pournazeri Trio
Nowruz, the Iranian or Persian New Year, marks the rebirth of nature and the arrival of spring. To celebrate, Pacific Symphony presents 'Nowruz: The Concert — Return of the Masters.' Sponsored by the Farhang Foundation, the Cyrus Society and Anoosheh and Alan Oskouian, this traditional Iranian concert has become a beloved tradition for Orange County's Iranian community. 'Sold-out Nowruz concerts with Pacific Symphony have been some of the most emotionally rewarding concerts I have attended,' John Forsyte, Pacific Symphony president and chief executive officer, said in a statement. 'The audiences are so passionate about the concerts, artists and the beautiful poetic expression of the music we hear.' Now in its eighth year, the March 29 concert at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall in Costa Mesa will feature the Pournazeri Trio, Iranian soloists and the Pacific Symphony, led by music director Carl The Pournazeri Trio is comprised of Iranian family members who are each talented musicians in their own right. Kaykhorso Pournazeri, founder of Shams Ensemble and highly regarded as the father of Sufi music, will be joined on stage by his two sons, Tahmoures and Sohrab Pournazeri. Other Iranian musicians in the evening's program include guest vocalists Sahar Boroujerdi and Donya Kamali, and violinist Tina Jamegarmi. 'We are thrilled to once again share the stage with these exceptional artists and to bring audiences together in a celebration of renewal, heritage and the universal language of music,' Forsyte said. Founded in 2008, the Farhang Foundation was established to promote and celebrate Iranian arts and culture and the upcoming event is one way the organization shares its heritage with a larger audience. 'Through music, we honor the timeless traditions of the Iranian New Year while sharing its universal message of renewal, unity and joy with the wider community,' Farhang Foundation's executive director, Alireza Ardekani, said in a statement. The Farhang Foundation emphasizes it is a 'non-religious, non-political and not-for-profit organization' that focuses on the areas of poetry, literature, music, fine arts and film, as well as Iran's history, language, traditions and cuisine. The symbolism of renewal in Nowruz makes the sacred holiday a time to wash away the past and prepare for new blessings to come. In Iranian households, families might prepare by deeply cleaning their homes or by giving gifts. Many also set a special table known as a 'Haft Seen' or 'Haft Sîn,' with seven symbolic items that all begin with the 15th letter of the Persian alphabet. Traditional displays might include 'seeb' (an apple), which symbolizes beauty and health, and 'serkeh' (vinegar), which signifies age and patience. While the March 29 concert begins at 8 p.m., pre-concert festivities will take place in the lobby at 7 p.m. Guests can expect performances from traditional Iranian musicians and dancers as well as a grand Haft Sîn display. Forsyte hopes the display and the music will encourage attendees unfamiliar with the holiday to embrace it and inspire others to reconnect with the traditions. 'Music has the power to unite communities and this concert is a profound way to honor a 3,000-year-old tradition while embracing the beauty of cultural exchange,' he said. 'Nowruz: The Concert — Return of the Masters' takes place on March 29, at 8 p.m. at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall in Costa Mesa. For tickets visit
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Mahdieh Mohammadkhani Returns to L.A. for The 2025 Farhang Foundation Nowruz Celebration
Mahdieh Mohammadkhani never wanted to leave Iran. It's the country where she grew up, and where her family and friends remain, but her artistry and desire for freedom was something she was unable to fully express in her a musician, Mohammadkhani faced restrictions in Iran. Under the conservative religious government, Iranian women are only able to sing in public if they're part of a choir, or as solo artists for female-only audiences."I never had any permission to perform in the country, and all my performances were always outside of Iran," she this, Mohammadkhani is a globally acclaimed classical Iranian singer."I've always wanted to stay in Iran, even with all the restrictions that were imposed on me as an artist," Mohammadkhani tells me. "But I have [left] because of the "Woman, Life, Freedom" movement and the Mahsa Amini incident."She's talking about the 2022 tragedy when Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian woman died in custody of Iran's morality police (the Gasht-e Ershad) after she was detained for not wearing her hijab properly (as part of the mandatory Islamic dress code). Following Amini's death, the country fought back and protests rang all throughout the region and the movement quickly grew under the slogan "Woman, Life, Freedom."Mohammadkhani's global performances have only recently resumed because as punishment for her support of "Woman, Life, Freedom," her passport was confiscated and she was stuck in Iran until January 2024. "Over the last few years [in Iran] I was also forbidden to work, even as a [music] instructor, and I was forbidden to leave the country to go and perform outside of Iran," she feminists have been protesting and organizing against the conservative religious rule since its theocratic government was established in 1979, but the government has continued to rule. Amini's death gained global recognition and it became the largest act of protest since the 1979 revolution. This series of protests in Iran left close to 20,000 people arrested and more than 500 dead, as reported by the Human Rights Mohammadkhani's travel ban was lifted, she fled to Dubai, where she currently resides."In picking a country for exile, I selected a country that is closest to my homeland. And in a way, I feel like I still have connections to Iran through the Persian Gulf. I feel my roots there," Mohammadkhani living in Dubai, Mohammadkhani has resumed performing and is "determined to focus on [her] career and expand [her] recordings and live performances," she says. As part of her return, the Iranian singer has come to the United States for the first time in over a decade to perform at the Farhang Foundation's Nowruz concert at Royce Hall UCLA on Sunday, March 9. The concert is part of the Foundation's annual Iranian New Year Celebration in L.A., which begins with a day-long Nowruz festival."Our sole mission is to celebrate and promote Iranian art and culture for the benefit of the global community," says Alireza Ardekani, the CEO of the Farhang Foundation. The Farhang Foundation is a non-political, non-religious, and not-for-profit organization that was founded in 2008 by a group of philanthropists in Southern California."The reason the organization was established was because our founders felt that what the general [public] sees about or hears about Iran is what they see on the news, and specifically, what the current government of Iran is doing," he says. "All the beauty of our culture, our history, our poetry, our every contribution that Iran and Iranians have made to the world over centuries was really simply forgotten."The California-based organization is one of the largest Iranian cultural and arts organizations in the world—globally, they reach over 8.1 million people. This year's free day-long Nowruz festival will begin at 12 p.m. at UCLA's campus. The 6 p.m. concert following the festival will be held at Royce Hall and features Mahdieh Mohammadkhani, Cameron Shahbazi, and The Iranshahr Orchestra."We invite everyone to come and celebrate Nowruz because Noruz is a festival that you don't have to be Iranian to celebrate," Ardekani says. "It's a celebration of mother nature, spring, rebirth, and just the beauty of nature." Plan Your Perfect Weekend! Get the best events, dining, and activities around Los Angeles delivered to your inbox. Sign up for Los Angeles Magazine's Weekend Guide below or by clicking here.
