The Hezar Ava ensemble, from left: Pegah Varamini (ensemble leader, piano and vocal), Omid Rahimi (vocal and tonbak), Mostafa Odabaee (santour), Maryam Odabaee (tar), Barbod Valadi (alto tar) and Homeira Aryanpad (daf and back vocal).
The Hezar Ava ensemble, from left: Pegah Varamini (ensemble leader, piano and vocal), Omid Rahimi (vocal and tonbak), Mostafa Odabaee (santour), Maryam Odabaee (tar), Barbod Valadi (alto tar) and Homeira Aryanpad (daf and back vocal).
16 April 2012

Ensemble Hezar Ava staged a free lunchtime concert of traditional and classical Persian music at UQ St Lucia this week.

“It is the first time that a Persian ensemble has appeared in the UQ School of Musics concert diary,” said ensemble leader Pegah Varamini.

The UQ School of Music runs a series of free lunchtime concerts at St Lucia on Thursdays, and others on Sundays on Customs House in the city.

A capacity crowd attended for Hezar Ava's performance in the Nickson Room (Zelman Cowan Building).

Hezar Ava was formed in January 2010, with a focus on the authentic and traditional music of Iran.

“It represents Persian classical music infused with beautiful poetry, reflecting eternal love, spirituality and mysticism taking the listener on a journey to the celestial world,” Dr Varamini said.

“Hezar Ava ensemble complements this with Iranian folk songs, displaying a variety of distinct styles and associations with native myths, dialects, geographical and social situations.”

For more information on the concert series, contact: Thorin Kerr, UQ School of Music, ph 07 3365 3952