Download Rumi Symphony Project - International Music Network

Rumi Symphony Project
Biography/Program Notes
2009
The Rumi Symphony Project is an ongoing work in Hafez Nazeri’s search to cross formal
boundaries and integrate classical Iranian and Western musical traditions into a new genre.
While the essence and elemental structures of Persian music are preserved in this work, its
orchestration, harmony, rhythmic patterns, melodic forms, and resonance diverge from
traditional Persian musical arrangements. No longer solely Persian or Western, the music
matches the transcendent tone of Rumi’s Sufi poetry, transposed into the context of a new
age. In the Path of Rumi is an expression of respect for the legacy of evolution, innovation,
and creative interaction between musical traditions. Like Rumi, this project celebrates unity
while rejoicing in the endless landscape of diversity that voices our humanity.
Shahram Nazeri
Shahram Nazeri is the undisputed icon of Classical Persian and Sufi music. Born in a
Kurdish musical family, he was the first vocalist to set Rumi’s poetry to Persian music thirtyfive years ago. Thus, he was able to establish a tradition of Sufi music within both Classical
Persian music and Kurdish music. His music was instrumental in introducing Western musical
audiences to both Sufism, and to the poetry of Rumi. The New York Times has dubbed him the
“Persian Nightingale”, and the Christian Science Monitor has called him “Iran’s Pavarotti”.
Most recently he was the first Iranian Musician to be awarded with the prestigious
Chevalier des Arts et Lettres medal from the government of France for his lifetime
achievements in Iranian and Sufi Music. In November 2007, Asia Society awarded Shahram
Nazeri with the prestigious Lifetime Cultural Heritage Award for his pioneering efforts of
introducing the poetry of Rumi to the West through his music. The Ministry of Culture in Iran
named him the “Best Singer of Classical Persian and Sufi Music.”
Nazeri has released over forty recordings to date. His Gol’eh Sad Barg recording has
held the record for the best-selling album of Classical Persian music and Sufi music in history.
His newly released work The Passion of Rumi, composed by his son Hafez Nazeri, was chosen
by Los Angeles Times and Boston Globe as one of the five bestselling CDs in World music for
2007.
His musical talents were first nurtured by his mother at a very young age. Throughout
his childhood, he was under the tutelage of the most renowned masters of Persian music,
including Abdollah Davami, Nourali Boroumand, and Mahmood Karimi. It was at age 11 that
he performed on television for the first time, and by 29, he had gained a loyal fan base. He
has continued to perform in Iran and abroad over the course of the last two decades.
Nazeri’s performances have garnered critical acclaim worldwide, and won him awards
at music festivals around the world. In 1975, he won First Prize at the Concours de Musique
Traditionelle, the first competition to showcase Iran’s great performers.
He has performed at major venues worldwide, including the Festival of Aix-enProvence, the Festival of Avignon, Theâtre de la Ville in Paris, the Tokyo Summer Festival, the
Kodak Theatre (Oscar ceremony) in Los Angeles, the Royal Albert Hall, Barbican, the Festa Del
Popolo in Italy, the Beiteddine Festival in Lebanon, the Kölner Philharmonie in Germany, Asia
Society, World Music Institute, the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) in New York, the Roma
1
Europa Festival in Rome, Sao Paolo Music Festival in Brazil and Fes Festival in Morocco, along
with many others.
From early on, Nazeri began to sing and compose music to the works of Mawlana Jalal
ad-Din Rumi, Iran’s most cherished Sufi poet. He also pioneered in assimilating contemporary
Persian poetry into the classical repertoire. His progressive approach to music has led to
collaborative new projects with his son, composer and singer Hafez Nazeri. In 2000, they
performed Hafez’s new composition in Iran, which has held the record for the most highly
attended concert in the entire Middle East.
In the years 2005 and 2006, Master Shahram Nazeri, along with his son’s new musical
ensemble, launched In the Path of Rumi - a highly successful North American tour which
performed record-breaking, sold-out concerts, to rave reviews. The venues, included Los
Angeles’ Kodak theater (12/11/05), which is the most highly attended Classical Persian music
concert outside of Iran.
This international appeal led to several invitations to speak at various media outlets,
including radio stations such as NPR in the United States, BBC, a live appearance on the Fox
Channel (3/10/06), and an exclusive on ABC NEWS, following a recent New York performance.
The United Nations has honored Nazeri with a recognition award for his legendary
contribution to the revival of Kurdish and Iranian Classical Music. The Irvine City Hall Award of
Distinction in Persian music was given to Shahram Nazeri for his contributions in spreading
Rumi’s spiritual message of peace through the language of music. UCLA has honored Shahram
Nazeri with the Living Legend Award.
February 25, 2006 was named “SHAHRAM NAZERI DAY” in San Diego County by the
Mayor and the Chairman of San Diego’s Board of Supervisors. Soon after this date, Shahram
Nazeri also received a recognition award from the Congress of the United States, and was
invited to perform and lecture at Stanford University, Columbia University, University of
California Berkeley, University of California Los Angeles UCLA, Emory University in Atlanta,
and Harvard University where he was recognized for his pioneering efforts in introducing Rumi
to the West as well as for his innovations in Persian music.
Hafez Nazeri
Hafez Nazeri is Iran's most influential and admired new composer, and is the son of
legendary musician Shahram Nazeri. Together they have accomplished the prominent role of
introducing Persian/Sufi music to the Western world.
Hafez began voice lessons at the age of three, and went on to place first in many voice
competitions. At seven, he began focusing his studies on tanbour and setar which he had
been playing since he was three. He then became intrigued by the daf, a percussion
instrument he taught himself to play. In the process, he created a unique technique that is
now emulated by many of Iran’s young daf players.
By the age of nine, Hafez had already begun to perform alongside his father in many
prestigious music festivals in Europe and the Middle East. At the age of sixteen he performed
at the Sfinks Festival in Belgium, the Festa Del Popolo in Italy, the Théâtre de la Ville in Paris
and the Beiteddine Festival in Lebanon, along with many others. Hafez is considered to have
extended the technique of setar-playing and has received praise from musicians and
craftsmen alike.
In 2000, Hafez assembled a talented group of young performers to form the Rumi
Ensemble. Together they performed Hafez’s original compositions in a series of landmark
concerts in twenty Iranian cities. These musical innovations not only reached younger
audiences, they also had an impact on the musical scene in Iran and beyond. With 140,000 in
attendance, The Rumi Ensemble’s concerts in Tehran set a record for the entire Middle East.
2
Selected pieces from this tour have been performed by the Armenian Philharmonic
Orchestra in London’s Royal Albert Hall, and at music festivals including the Sodra Teatern in
Stockholm, the De Bijloke in Ghent, Belgium, as well as at the Fez Festival in Morocco, and the
Théâtre de la Ville in Paris.
At the age of 21, in a search for new artistic ground, Hafez came to New York to study
western classical music. In 2005, he received a Diploma in Composition and Conducting from
the Mannes College of Music.
Later, during the same year, Hafez, along with new members of his Rumi Ensemble
launched “In the Path of Rumi," a highly successful North American tour which performed
record-breaking, sold-out concerts, to rave reviews. The venues included The Atlanta
Symphony Hall and Los Angeles’ Kodak theater (12/11/05) - the most highly attended Persian
classical music concert outside of Iran.
Hafez’s international appeal led to several invitations to speak at various media
outlets, including radio stations such as KPBS, KUSC, KPFK, KPFA, TIME, UC Berkeley Radio
and several of NPR in the United States.
Hafez’s musical compositions have been praised in major publications such as New
York Times, Los Angeles Times, L.A Weekly, Boston Globe, San Francisco Chronicle,
Washington Post, San Diego Tribune, Atlanta Journal, TIME, Telegraph, Republica, and Le
Monde.
He was also featured in broadcast interviews, which include 10-minutes on CNN’s Live
From with Kyra Phillips (3/29/06), BBC World Service’s program, The Ticket with Mark Coles
(4/26/06), a live appearance on the Fox Channel (3/10/06), an exclusive on ABC NEWS, and
an exclusive with Associated Press (08/15/07).
Hafez is also the recipient of a UCLA Creativity Award for Most Distinguished Young
Composer. The Irvine City Hall Award of Distinction in Kurdish music was given to Hafez
Nazeri for his contributions in spreading Rumi’s spiritual message of peace through the
language of music. The United Nations Association also recognized Hafez’s contributions and
his innovation in undertaking the “In the Path of Rumi” tour.
February 25, 2006 was named Hafez Nazeri Day in San Diego County by the Mayor
and the Chairman of San Diego’s Board of Supervisors. Soon after, he received recognition
awards from the sheriff of Los Angeles, and the United States Congress, and was invited to
lecture at Emory University, and Harvard University, where he was recognized for his
pioneering efforts and innovation in Persian music.
In 2007, Hafez premiered his most passionate and ambitious undertaking: The Rumi
Symphony, as the first major celebration of Rumi’s 800th birthday anniversary. It was
performed in the United States at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, and received a standing
ovation. He also released a new CD called The Passion of Rumi, which L.A Times and the
Boston Globe chose as one of the five bestselling CDs in World Music for 2007.
www.imnworld.com/rumisymphonyproject
3