A Miracle in the Iranian Music: About Tehran Flute Choir’s Eight-year Tenacity

Translated by Mahboube Khalvati

Tehran Flute Choir is a 40-member orchestra of Iran’s best flutists; Iran’s best flutists? Yes! If you write down the names of the greatest Iranian flute players who participate at concerts and contribute to academic centers in Iran, you will see that most of them are among the choir’s members.
So, what makes Tehran Flute Choir’s eight-year activity exceptional? It needs some familiarity with the Iranian “orchestra culture” to be able to understand that the founders of Tehran Flute Choir, Firouzeh Navai and Saeed Taghadosi, have done an exceptionally great job in keeping this orchestra going. A choir consisting of the best Iranian flutists who not only work together very well through the choirs’ demanding disciplines (without letting personal and professional disagreements to interrupt their collaboration) but also serve as sponsors to ensure the continued work of the team. Well, these conditions might not only seem illogical and unappealing to Iranian musicians but also to musicians from materially and spiritually richer countries. But, Tehran Flute Choir is an exception!
Eight years ago, two international artists, Firouzeh Navai and her husband, Saeed Taghadosi, who had the experience of teaching and playing flute in European choirs as well as conducting them, approached me with the idea of establishing a flute choir. I considered it impossible unless pre-requisites such as recruiting flutists younger than twenty years of age with little experience, specified finances, etc. were met.
However, the presence of three people who were really the embodiment of humanity and commitment to the art of music changed the story in a different way; Dr. Azin Movahed, the founder of the Iranian Flute Association (a maestro, an experienced and successful professor of flute and classical music theory, and of course a national figure who is well respected by Iran lovers), together with Saeed Taghodsi and Firouze Navai, with a profound knowledge of music and exemplary humbleness gathered together a group of Iranian flutists and established a flute choir of which the Iranian classical music society is rightly proud.

Firouzeh Navai, who was offering a master-class for flutists, taught me a very beautiful lesson in the first meeting of Tehran Flute Choir; “if no one is interested in playing the bass flute, I will do it. Otherwise, I will offer refreshments to you during rehearsals; after all, you need someone to serve you and to clean the rehearsal hall …”, Navai humbly said. These remarks were in no way Ta’arof but a characteristic which the choir’s veteran musicians have.
This year, Tehran Flute Choir celebrated its 8th birthday with a record of important domestic and international performances. Tehran Flute Choir proved that one can dearly love music and cherish humanity while remaining professional.

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Leading the Charge in Censorship

Davoud Pirnia, writer and musicologist was the founder of “Golha” (Flowers of Persian Song and Music) programs on Tehran Radio (1956-1966). He received his early education from his father, Hassan Pirnia (Moshir al-Douleh), and several tutors of the time (Taraghi, interview, July 1989) and continued his studies at Saint Louis School in Tehran and then in Switzerland and graduated in law. While studying law, Pirnia got acquainted with European classical music. Upon returning to Iran, he was employed by the Ministry of Justice and founded the Lawyers’ Guild. Then he was transferred to the Ministry of Finance and established the Department of Statistics in this ministry. Later, he became the head of the state inspection office at the Prime Ministry; he was, then, promoted to the position of the Deputy Prime Minister (Navab Safa, interview, August 1999)

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This year marks the fifth anniversary of the passing of Khosrow Jafarzadeh (Khosrow Djafar-Zadeh), a distinguished architect and pioneering researcher of Iranian music, whose contributions to the magazine “Harmony Talk” have left an indelible mark on the field. The absence of this remarkable individual has significantly impacted the expansion and advancement of his theories, which are heralded as some of the most progressive in the history of Iranian music

From Past Days…

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The alleged similarity between the Iranian and South Korean National Anthems has been a matter of discussion among musicians in Iran for several years. Earlier in 2021, the issue was taken to the media again with not only claims that the anthem is very similar to another song but also the suggestion that its musical content should draw more on the Iranian national music. Some even went to the extent to suggest replacing it with the song “O, Iran” composed by the late Rouhollah Khaleghi. Before delving more into the main issue, it would not go amiss to consider some technical characteristics of the song “O, Iran” composed in 1944.

Harmony in the Iranian Music (II)

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Principles of Violin Playing (VIII)

1.5.1.3.sometimes, a player, due to different reasons, may decisively want to play continuously two notes with a half-step by means of the same finger, in such a case, it’s necessary to open the interior curve of the finger like a spring. Naturally coming back, the curve of finger should be closed and the finger should become curved shape again (see paragraph 3.1.2.1).

Motherland Orchestra Broke the Spell of the Covid-19 Restrictions

The Motherland Orchestra staged the first concert since the outbreak of the pandemic under the baton of Nezhat Amiri. The orchestra went on stage on December 23-24, 2021 in memory of Rouhollah Khaleghi and Golnoush Khaleghi at Vahdat Hall, Tehran, Iran. Since the pandemic outbreak, concerts were held online and restrictions were imposed on in-person concerts.

A note on “Illusion or Ingenuity” article

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The Structure of Kurdistan Daf (I)

Today, percussion instruments have such a high place in music that are an essential element of orchestras. This has attracted many people to this type of instrument with roots as old as the first humans. A historical study of music, shows that humans used the sound of these instruments to defend themselves against wild animals and, over time, for alerting each other, signaling their readiness and encouraging people for war, ritual ceremonies, dances, etc. in a manner that is still clearly visible in music and some ritual ceremonies.

Parviz Meshkatian’s Heart Beat for People (I)

Amidst the popularity of traditionalism in the Iranian music, Parviz Meshkatian (1955- 2009) moved from Neyshabur to Tehran. He learnt to play Santour and became educated in the Radif of Iranian music at the Centre for Preservation and Promotion of Music which was at the forefront of promoting the return to musical traditions. Despite his studies at a centre which promoted the use of the phrase “traditional music” in Iran, Parviz Meshkatian emerged as a creative artist whose innovative and unique ideas attracted the admiration of Iranian artists and people from different walks of life. This article studies the reason behind Meshkatian’s deviation from the wrong approach of traditionalism strongly promoted by the Centre and argues that apart from the issue of theory of Iranian music, he can be considered as Ali Naqi Vaziri’s successor.

“Guitar Memories” Released

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In this album there are pieces composed and arranged by artists such as: Sylvius Leopold Weiss, Johann Anton Logy, Fernando Sor, Yuquijiro Yocoh, Leo Brouwer.

Principles of Playing Violin (VI)

B. applying force: the force needed for putting finger on finger board is applied through finger tips and using the rest of hand set especially wrist is not allowed. To practice this, it is possible to hold violin without the bow and throw the fingers on the finger board from 1-2cm distance; apply force only through finger tips.

The Structure of Kurdistan Daf (VII)

Conclusion

“Daf” is one of type of percussion instruments that has a long history and is commonly known as circular instruments (with a rim). In some tribes, Daf was used as the main instrument in festivity and joy ceremonies; in another tribe it was used as the main instrument for war and campaign ceremonies and some others used it for ritual and religious ceremonies.