Oakland East Bay Symphony Celebrates Persian New Year March 18, 2011

The Oakland East Bay Symphony celebrates Persian New Year with music written by Persian composers or featuring Persian soloists when it offers "More Notes from Persia". Following an incredibly well-received Persian New Year concert in 2008, Oakland East Bay Symphony returns to the region to feature works by Persian composers Behzad Ranjbaran and Ahmad Pejman, known for his film scores and popular music. Ranjbaran, whose works have been performed by notable artists such as Joshua Bell, Renee Fleming and Yo-Yo Ma, offers "Seemorgh" from his Persian Trilogy, a lush three-movement work based on a colorful story from the Shahnameh, or "The Book of Kings". Also on the program is Beethoven's Triple Concerto for Piano, Violin, Cello and Orchestra, performed by pianist Tara Kamangar, Persian violinist Cyrus Beroukhim and Persian cellist Arash Amini. An informative pre-concert talk by John Kendall Bailey begins at 7 pm.

The Shahnameh, from which comes the inspiration for Ranjbaran's "Seemorgh", is a poetic opus written by the Persian poet Ferdowski around 1000 AD. It details the mythical and historical past of Iran from the creation of the world until the Islamic conquest of Persia in the 7th century. It forms a cornerstone of Persian culture and serves as a reminder of a rich and important past while the Persian world welcomes in a New Year.

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