When Iranian Music Resounded at the Bolshoi: National Orchestra Opens Cultural Week

On a night when the melodies of Iranian music resounded through Moscow’s historic Bolshoi Hall, the National Orchestra of Iran, conducted by Homayoun Rahimian and featuring vocalist Mojtaba Asgari, opened the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Cultural Week in Russia. It was an evening filled with music, enthusiasm and audience engagement, presenting a cultural narrative of Iran on one of Russia’s most prestigious artistic stages.

Rudaki Foundation: Moscow’s Bolshoi Hall hosted the National Orchestra of Iran on Monday evening, September 28, 2026. The event was attended by Seyyed Abbas Salehi, Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance; Kazem Jalali, Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Russia; Olga Lyubimova, Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation; artists and cultural and artistic officials from both countries; as well as a large number of Russian enthusiasts of Iranian culture and art.

The appearance of the National Orchestra of Iran on the Bolshoi stage was itself one of the significant events of the evening. The hall is closely associated with the history of Russian art, music, opera and ballet and is regarded as one of the country’s best-known artistic venues. This time, however, the Bolshoi stage hosted a narrative of Iranian music—a narrative that, through instrumental music and vocals, introduced Russian audiences to part of Iran’s culture and musical identity.

As the musicians of the National Orchestra of Iran took their places on stage and conductor Homayoun Rahimian appeared before the orchestra, the hall fell silent and the first notes of the performance rang out at the Bolshoi. The performance quickly transformed the atmosphere of the hall, taking the audience into the world of Iranian music.

The first piece on the program was “Adam,” composed by Fardin Khalatbari with lyrics by Afshin Yadollahi. Its performance marked the beginning of the National Orchestra of Iran’s musical narrative that evening and was met with warm applause from the audience.

It was followed by “Naghmehgar-e Eshgh,” composed by Ali Jafarian with lyrics by Bijan Taraghi. The piece presented the audience with another facet of Iranian music and, like the opening work, was greeted with applause from those in the hall.

Next came “Concerto for Tar and Orchestra” by Behzad Abdi, a work that placed the connection between the Iranian tar and the possibilities of orchestral music at the center of attention and created a different atmosphere within the program. The sound of the tar alongside the orchestra was one of the highlights of this part of the performance, which also ended with applause and a warm reception from the audience.

The program continued with “Chelleh-ye Eshgh,” composed by Fardin Khalatbari with lyrics by Afshin Yadollahi. The piece once again demonstrated the capacity of Iranian music to express emotional and human themes within an orchestral framework and was met with applause from the audience.

As the performance continued, Iranian music was presented alongside one of the best-known works of Russian classical music. “Swan Lake” by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, the prominent Russian composer, was performed later in the program. The selection created an auditory connection between the musical atmosphere of Iran and the heritage of Russian classical music, while also offering Russian audiences a familiar and distinctive experience.

The final piece on the program was “Iran-e Ostovar,” composed by Homayoun Rahimian with lyrics by Hassan Rahimi. The work gave the conclusion of the musical narrative a stronger patriotic and national character, and its performance received a particularly warm response from the audience.

Throughout the program, each piece was followed by applause from the audience, and the warm reactions of those in attendance shaped the atmosphere of the Bolshoi Hall.

The engagement and enthusiastic reception of Russian audiences gave the hall an energetic atmosphere, while the connection between the stage and the audience continued from the opening minutes until the end of the performance.

The presence of Mojtaba Asgari alongside the National Orchestra of Iran was also an important part of the program. Iranian vocal music alongside the orchestra completed the musical narrative of the evening, and his collaboration with the musicians drew the attention and appreciation of the audience during different parts of the performance.

What stood out that evening beyond the musical performance itself was the presence of Iranian culture on one of Russia’s most important artistic stages. Here, works by Iranian composers were heard alongside a work by Tchaikovsky, while music provided a direct means of connection between Iranian artists and Russian audiences.

The presence of officials from both countries, alongside a large gathering of art and culture enthusiasts, added to the significance of the cultural event and turned the Bolshoi Hall into a meeting place for the cultures and arts of the two countries.

At the end of the performance, as the final notes of “Iran-e Ostovar” resounded through the Bolshoi Hall, the applause continued. The musicians remained on stage alongside Homayoun Rahimian and Mojtaba Asgari and responded to the warm reception by paying their respects to the audience—a spirited conclusion to an evening in which Iranian music was heard in the heart of Moscow.

The performance by the National Orchestra of Iran at the Bolshoi Hall turned the opening of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Cultural Week in Russia into a memorable musical evening—one in which works by Iranian composers were performed alongside one of the enduring works of Russian music, allowing Russian audiences to experience firsthand part of the breadth and diversity of Iranian music.

But the story of Iranian music in Russia does not end here. As part of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Cultural Week in Russia, the National Orchestra of Iran will travel to Kazan, where this musical narrative will continue in another Russian city.

The evening that began with Iranian music at the Bolshoi Hall was more than a stage performance; it was a narrative of the presence of Iranian culture in Russia—a narrative shaped through the language of music and brought to a close with a warm reception from Russian audiences.