Shahram Nazeri performs for UNESCO

On Saturday 3 September, Iranian musical legend Shahram Nazeri held a unique performance for UNESCO at Sa’adabad Cultural and Historical Complex, AVA Diplomatic reports.

Close to 700 guests, including prominent Iranian artists, diplomats, government officials and staff of international organisations, attended the special evening under the motto “Building Peace in the Minds of Women and Men”.

Shahram Nazeri, who was born in a Kurdish family, is one of the most famous and illustrious Iranian musicians in modern history. His works represent in many ways the richness and diversity of Persian culture and traditional music. Through his music he has introduced Rumi and Ferdowsi to audiences around the globe, and his work contains influences from various ethnic backgrounds.

He has received many awards and distinctions in countries around the world and in 2007 the French Government awarded him with the prestigious title of “Officier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres”.

During the opening ceremony, Ms. Esther Kuisch Laroche, Director and Representative of the UNESCO Tehran Cluster Office, paid tribute to Master Nazeri’s lifelong achievements and efforts to promote Persian culture around the world.

She said music and art played an important role in UNESCO’s work. “Music has a special way of transcending boundaries and connecting people from around the world and across generations, cultures and gender in a very powerful and personal manner”, said Ms. Kuisch Laroche.

The concert was sponsored by Mana Naqsh Art and Culture Institute. Mana Naqsh designs audio-visual productions in line with UNESCO’s efforts to protect, promote and safeguard cultural heritage in Iran and the region. Their projects include “Persian Poets”, which seeks to promote Farsi-speaking poets, and “Silk of Friendship”, which refers to the common cultural heritage of countries along the ancient Silk Roads.

Shahram Nazeri has cooperated with Mana Naqsh in a new project, which combines video images of the most beautiful heritage sites in the city of Isfahan with traditional Iranian music and an overview of the rich cultural and religious diversity of Isfahan. The production has not yet been released officially, but guests at the concert were shown an exclusive preview.

The performance of Master Nazeri was followed by an outdoor reception at the beautiful “Ivan Attar” auditorium in Sa’adabad Cultural and Historical Complex, where guests had an opportunity to mingle and meet the artist.