“The influence of Persian culture is unmistakable in the symphonic music of Behzad Ranjbaran,” writes Chris Shull in Tuesday’s (4/14) Dallas Morning News. “Whether dramatic tonal depictions of ancient stories and legends or the employment of authentic folk-music style and rhythm, Ranjbaran’s music pulses with scintillating sounds that bring to life a fabled Middle East. The Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra will perform two pieces by Ranjbaran in concerts Friday through Sunday at Bass Performance Hall. Awakening for Strings is an intense reflection on war and peace. Songs of Eternity for soprano and orchestra is a philosophical exploration of life, love and death using poetry from the Ruba’iyat of Omar Khayyam. Soprano Hanan Alattar will join conductor Miguel Harth-Bedoya as the featured artist. … The concerts next weekend will be the second this season that feature Ranjbaran’s music—selections from his tone poem The Blood of Seyavash were played at Bass Hall in November. Ranjbaran will be at the concerts; he’s designated the orchestra’s composer-in-residence this season. … Ranjbaran teaches at the Juilliard School of Music in New York, where he met Harth-Bedoya when both were students there.”
Posted April 15, 2009
Photo: Composer Behzad Ranjbaran
