“Aficionados of Western classical music have carved out a niche for themselves in Iran, where cultural expression remains tightly controlled,” writes Karin Laub in Saturday’s (7/6) Associated Press. “Musicians in their 20s and 30s perform for overwhelmingly young audiences. This week, the Tehran Symphony Orchestra, including female musicians in burgundy headscarves on cello, horn and harp, played works by 19th-century Russian composers for an enraptured crowd in the capital’s main concert venue, Vahdat Hall. A major draw is Shahrdad Rohani, 65, the orchestra’s charismatic music director…. Rohani said … there’s potential for growth, citing a large turnout during a stadium concert last year in Abadan … in southwestern Iran…. In four decades of conservative Islamic rule, the space for artistic expression in Iran has expanded or contracted, depending on whether political hard-liners or moderates prevail…. These days, the influence of hard-liners appears on the upswing again…. For Tehran music lovers, events like Wednesday’s concert on the main national stage next to the Russian Embassy offers a momentary escape from reality.… The audience was entranced. There was no fidgeting or coughing. A young couple in the balcony held hands…. Rohani, the conductor, was greeted by loud applause.”
Posted July 10, 2019
