Iranian, American musicians team up to perform opera in pandemic

TEHRAN.(Iranart) –A number of Iranian and American musicians have Teamed up to perform an opera during the pandemic to keep the solidarity of the two nations in these hard days of battling with the coronavirus.

The North American Iranian Friendship Association in Washington has invited a number of Iranian and American musicians to perform the last two parts of Serse, an opera series in three acts by George Frideric Handel, the German-born English composer of the late Baroque era.

“The invitation was warmly received by the musicians of the two countries, leading to the establishment of the Solidarity Chamber Orchestra with 19 musicians in Tehran in collaboration with Iran’s Rudaki Foundation,” Vahid Abideh, founder and the CEO of the association, has told the Persian service of IRNA.

“The orchestra has performed the music, which was recorded at the Rudaki Hall in Tehran, observing the health protocols and social distancing,” he added.

“Afterwards, the video of the performance was sent to the U.S. where seven top American singers joined to sing and perform the opera under the supervision of the IN Series, a company for innovative opera theater in Washington,” Abideh explained.

“A video of the work is under final production and will soon be released after the final editing,” he said.

“After the rapid spread of coronavirus in the world, many countries have been battling with this new virus, and have tolerated great social and human damages. That is why paying due attention to unity and solidarity between people of the countries is felt more now than at any other time,” Abideh said. 

Abideh called the collaboration between Iran and North America very important and said, “The opera has been produced by the North American Iranian Friendship Association in collaboration with Iran’s Roudaki Foundation.”

Source:Tehran Times