Mohammad Reza Shajarian, Tahmoures Pournazeri, Sohrab Pournazeri

A major event in Persian culture to welcome Nowruz (Persian New Year)

MOHAMMAD REZA SHAJARIAN (vocals)
"The Pavarotti of Persian classical music" (TORONTO GLOBE & MAIL)
NPR's "50 Great Voices" http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130047062

and

TAHMOURES POURNAZERI (tar, setar, baarbad, seghar)
SOHRAB POURNAZERI (kamancheh, tanbour, shahrashoub)

debuting

COLORS OF TRANSCENDENCE:
NEW MUSIC AND NEW INSTRUMENTS FROM IRAN
** Tanbour Concerto ** Colors of Transcendence **
** Improvisation Based on Eastern and Western Music **
** Traditional Persian Music **


SAT FEB 9 COSTA MESA, CA SEGERSTROM HALL
SAT MAR 14 WASHINGTON, DC STRATHMORE HALL
SAT MAR 23 LOS ANGELES, CA NOKIA THEATRE
SUN MAR 24 BERKELEY, CA ZELLERBACH HALL


Mohammad Reza Shajarian and brothers Tahmoures & Sohrab Pournazeri join forces in an historic collaboration, presenting music from their soon-to-be-released project Colors of Transcendence. Appearing in a rare set of U.S. concerts, the ensemble will perform in Costa Mesa, Los Angeles and Berkeley in California and in Washington, DC.

Mohammad Reza Shajarian is one of the most distinguished and internationally recognized musicians of our time. Born on September 23, 1940, in Mashhad, Iran, he is a critically acclaimed singer, composer and Master (Ostad) of Persian music. Called “a superstar, the Pavarotti of Persian classical music” (Toronto Globe & Mail) and named one of the “50 Great Voices” of the World by NPR (2010), Ostad Shajarian is the only person ever to receive both of UNESCO’s prestigious arts awards, the Picasso Medal (1999) and the Mozart Medal (2006).

Sohrab Pournazeri, virtuoso of the tanbour and the kamancheh, is a phenomenon in modern Iranian music. He is a singer and instrumentalist whose music has transcended the borders of Iran, fusing with cultures and artists as far and wide as China and the United States.

Tahmoures Pournazeri is an instrumentalist and composer whose creativity and inventiveness have marked him as a distinguished artist of his generation. He has been acclaimed by the United States Senate for the music he composed for the International Norooz Celebration, and he has collaborated with such artists as Joan Baez, Shujaat Hussain Khan and the great master Mohammad Reza Shajarian.

The Pournazeri brothers, principal members of the renowned Shamss Ensemble, are two of Iran's most innovative young composers and instrumentalists. Inspired by a new family of string instruments designed and handmade by Ostad Shajarian, the Pournazeris have invented a modern Persian music that expands on the Persian classical tradition while remaining faithful to its spirit. These groundbreaking settings of works by Nezami, Rumi, and contemporary Iranian poets will allow the audience "to take away an experience where they are touched by a new Iran, a new culture of Iran" (Sohrab Pournazeri in the Los Angeles Times). A diverse ensemble of twelve musicians from North America, Europe, and the Middle East will perform alongside the Pournazeris, in their Cal Performances debut, and Ostad Shajarian.

PROGRAM DETAILS:

Colors of Transcendence
Maestro M.R. Shajarian and Pournazeri Brothers

"Nour"
Traditional Persian Music
Improvisation In Nava ,Bayate Zand and Shour
Vocal           Mohammad Reza Shajarian
Tar              Tahmoures Pournazeri
Kamancheh  Sohrab Pournazeri
Poems by:
Fereydoun Moshiri
Houshang Ebtahaj

"Journey"
Improvisation based on  Eastern and Western Music
Tahmoures Pournazeri     Baarbad
Philip Brezina                  Delo Del
Joanne  De Mars              Shah Navaz
Andrei Gorbatenko            Shah Baang

"The Kisses of Rain" Tanbour Concerto 
by Sohrab Pournazeri
Arrangement by Amir Pourkhalaji

----intermission ----


"Colors of Transcendence" 

1 Dibache
2 Zakhm
3 Solo
4 Avaz
5 Delbar Sanam
6 Solo
7 Avaz
8 Az Eshgh goftan
9 Az Eshgh Khandan
Music by Tahmoures&Sohrab Pournazeri
Arrangement :David Garner
                    Tahmoures & Sohrab Pournazeri
Poetry by:
Rumi
Nezami Ganjavi
Saadi
Baba Taher
Simin Behbehani
 

PERFORMERS:

Mohammad Reza Shajarian Vocals
Tahmoures Pournazeri     Tar,  Barbad, Saghar 
Sohrab Pournazeri             Kamancheh,  Tanbour , Shahrashoub

Percussion:

Robin Vassy           Water Drum, Shaker, Kess Kess
Shahab Paranj         Tombak, Kuzeh, Zarb,D amam
Hussein Zahawy     Daf, Bendir

Strings:

Stephanie Bibbo   Delo Del
David Byron Ryther         Delo Del 
Philip Brezina                   Delo Del
Evan Buttemer                 Delo Del Alto
Shain Carrasco     Shah Navaz
Joanne  De Mars                  Shah Navaz
Andrei Gorbatenko             Shah Baang