They have previously performed concerts in New York, Paris and some of the African countries, including Morocco, but this is their debut performance in their homeland.

“Finally, we have succeeded in performing concerts for three days in Isfahan, a city, which is one of the most important centers of music in Iran,” Shahram Nazeri mentioned in a press conference on Thursday.

His son, Hafez, the artistic director and setar virtuoso, accompany his father and the Ferdowsi band during the concerts entitled “Ferdowsi Song”. The concerts will be performed in the Rudaki Hall of Isfahan.

At the conference, Shahram Nazeri stated that he tried to revive Shahnameh as a part of Iranian’s life in the form of music with these compositions.

“I was searching for the missing epic tones in music and I was acquainted with myths in this way,” he mentioned.

The concert focuses on some Shahnameh stories, namely the passing of Siavash through the fire, Zahhak and the Seven Adventures of Rustam and a small piece of naqalli will be performed at the event, he said.

He called Isfahan the cradle of music in which renowned musicians as Shahnaz, Taj Shahzeidi and Sasan Sepanta performed; and, the city has a great potentiality for music.

The verses of Shahnameh have not been performed by any Iranian musicians during past century and some narrative poems by Ferdowsi and Rumi were omitted from music of Iran, he said.

“It is regrettable that the most significant part of epic music from Iran has been disregarded. Shahnameh plays a crucial role in the life of Iranians in teahouses and homes during past years,” he lamented.

In addition, the Sony Corporation will take the lead in distributing the “Rumi Symphony” album, composed by Hafez Nazeri across the globe, this coming summer.

SB/BW

END

MNA