Dream Theater and Metallica in Tehran; Interview with Jordan Rudess

Dream Theater is one of the most influential progressive metal bands in the world, founded in 1985 by John Petrucci, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy in the United States. The band has attracted numerous fans worldwide with its complex blend of progressive rock and metal music, along with unparalleled playing techniques. Dream Theater achieved great success with the release of successful albums such as Images and Words and Metropolis Pt. 2 and remains among the prominent and influential groups in this genre. Jordan Rudess, who joined Dream Theater as a keyboardist in 1999, is one of the most important members of the band, adding a unique sound to Dream Theater's music with his extraordinary playing abilities and creativity in using modern technologies. Recognized as a classical music prodigy in his childhood, he began his education at Juilliard School before leaning towards rock and metal music. Throughout his career, Rudess has been recognized as one of the top keyboardists in the world and is also the founder of Wizdom Music, a company that produces music software. In a brief interview with Jordan Rudess, who came to Prague for the band's 40th-anniversary tour, an opportunity arose to discuss the fan base of this band in Iran and the challenges faced by Iranian metal musicians. At the end of this friendly conversation, Jordan Rudess selects five international music groups to hold a rock and metal festival in Iran. Watch this interview. Farid Amin, a graduate in visual communications and new technologies in art, joined Radio Farda in 2017 and his media activities focus on music, visual arts, and technology.