This program features a rare NY appearance of Ali Akbar Moradi and Pejman Hadadi, two of Iran’s most renowned musicians. Moradi is an extraordinary virtuoso of the tanbur, an ancient 2-stringed long-necked fretted lute traditionally used in religious ceremonies. Hadadi is one of the most innovative Iranian percussionists (tombak, daf); he has been a member of the Dastan Ensemble for over 25 years and collaborated with countless master musicians in Persian and world traditions. Their program, Euphoric Whispers: Improvisations for Tanbur and Percussion, features ecstatic and trance-inducing Kurdish music from western Iran – music that is little known in the US. Their improvisations are based on the repertoire of the Yarsan people – followers of a mystical faith associated with Sufism – and the beauty and complexities of the art of this region.

“Love, spirituality, intoxication with the divine and the power of music… With one string providing a drone, everything else rides on a single string of the tanbur, and in Mr. Moradi’s hands, that string encompasses an expressive universe.” – New York Times

“The masterful Hadadi delivers an astonishing array of sounds.” – Los Angeles Times

This event is a coproduction with Robert Browning Associates and Lotus Music & Dance.