Brilliance of Women at Vahdat Hall / Tehran Symphony Orchestra Performs “Land of the Simorgh”
The Tehran Symphony Orchestra appeared on stage at Vahdat Hall on the nights of November 12 and 13 for the first time under the baton of a female conductor and Paniz Faryousefi led the orchestra, while Pedram Faryousefi joined as the violin soloist, delivering a unique and highly acclaimed performance.
Roudaki Foundation: the concert featured works by Iranian women composers alongside pieces by great composers of Western classical music. Over the two nights, Vahdat Hall welcomed enthusiastic audiences who followed the performance with remarkable silence and concentration.
Opening with Sibelius and Continuing with Iranian Composers
The concert began with a performance of Impromptu Op. 5 by Jean Sibelius, played by the string ensemble. Following this, the orchestra turned to works by two distinguished Iranian composers, Golpham Khayam and Aftab Darvishi.
First, the pieces “Simorgh” and “Zamzameh” by Golpham Khayam were performed. Then, Pedram Faryousefi appeared on stage as the violin soloist to perform “Diyar” by Aftab Darvishi alongside the orchestra. Both composers were invited to the stage after their works were performed and received warm applause from the audience.
A Brilliant Performance of Schubert
With the full orchestra assembled, the second part of the concert was dedicated to Symphony No. 8 in B Minor, the “Unfinished Symphony,” by Franz Schubert. The performance of the two movements — Allegro moderato and Andante con moto — was met with exceptional audience engagement, as the sound of the orchestra resonated beautifully in the hall’s atmosphere of silence and focus.
A Powerful Finale with “Sabre Dance”
The concert’s final note belonged to the energetic “Sabre Dance” from the ballet “Gayaneh” by Aram Khachaturian. With its dynamic rhythm, contrasting with the earlier sections, the piece filled the hall with excitement and brought the performance to an electrifying close.
Acknowledgments and Closing Remarks
At the end of the performance, Paniz Faryousefi thanked the orchestra musicians, the Roudaki Foundation management, and the Foundation’s Artistic Council for entrusting her with the leadership of the orchestra. She said:
“I would like to offer special thanks to Mr. Nasir Heydarian, who stood beside me and the orchestra with fatherly care and devotion, helping us present this program in the best possible way.”
She dedicated the performance to all mothers and women of Iran, and especially to her own mother.
Nasir Heydarian then came on stage and, emphasizing the importance of trusting the younger generation, said:
“I’m very pleased that the Roudaki Foundation management created this opportunity. We must gradually hand the world over to young people. The maternal sentiments and artistic delicacy of women musicians are undeniable, and last night and tonight, the audience heard this delicacy in the orchestra.”
At the end of the second night, plaques of appreciation and gifts from the Roudaki Foundation were presented by Nasir Heydarian to Paniz Faryousefi, by Farimah Ghavam-Sadri to Aftab Darvishi, and by Raphael Minaskanian to Golpham Khayam.
Artists and cultural figures such as Mohammad-Reza Darvishi, Raphael Minaskanian, Farimah Ghavam-Sadri, Nasir Heydarian, Mani Jafarzadeh, Mohammad-Reza Tafazzoli, Kiavash Saheb-Nasgh, Shahla Milani, Aftab Darvishi, Golpham Khayam, Behnaz Zakari, Ebrahim Lotfi, Klara Bokuchava, Babak Chaman Ara, Behnam Abolghasem, Zhabi and Golriz Zarbakhsh, Nasrin Nasehi, Mina Oftadeh, Behzad Abdi, Haspik Karapetian, Pouria Akhavas, Amin Ghaffari, Negar Kharkan, along with Zahra Behrouz Azar (Vice President for Women and Family Affairs), Mohammad Elahyari Foumani (CEO of the Roudaki Foundation), Babak Rezaei (Director General of the Music Office at the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance), Amirabbas Setayeshgar (Deputy for Artistic Creations at the Roudaki Foundation), and Es-haq Shokri (CEO of the Music Association), attended the performances of the Tehran Symphony Orchestra over these two nights.