Music Office Director: 'Yanni' to Visit Iran

According to the Director of the Music Office of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, 'Yanni', the famous Greek composer and musician, will travel to Iran in the coming months to perform in Tehran and Kish. Pyruz Arjmand, the Director General of the Music Office, stated regarding Yanni's presence and performance in Iran: 'We are interested in having these groups perform in our country, and recent performances like Kitaro have shown that we have good audiences, and these are just a small part of the capacities of the Music Office.' If Yanni's trip to Iran takes place, he will be the second famous global composer and musician to visit Iran after the revolution, following 'Kitaro'. Kitaro, along with his group, visited Iran in late October and held four performances in Tehran. He was scheduled to perform for a fifth night but faced opposition from the police department, and this performance was canceled. Years ago, there were also discussions about Yanni's trip to Iran and a performance at Persepolis, but this never materialized. Yanni is a well-known composer in Iran, and many music enthusiasts have likely watched some of his famous concerts, such as the performance at 'Acropolis' or at the 'Royal Albert Hall' in London. However, perhaps the main reason for Yanni's popularity in Iran is the presence of an Iranian as the conductor and musician in several of his performances; Shahdad Rouhani, an Iranian musician and composer, was present as the conductor at Yanni's famous concert in Athens, Greece, and performed artistically. This concert had a very large audience worldwide, and its video has been one of the bestsellers globally. Meanwhile, Shahdad Rouhani, who is currently in Iran, has commented on Yanni's concert and presence in Iran. The former conductor of Yanni's concerts stated to Mehr News Agency regarding the news of this global musician's presence in Iran: 'Although the presence of this global musician and composer will not transform our country's music, it can have a significant impact on introducing the cultural and artistic situation of our country and also elevate Iran's name in the region.' Rouhani, noting that he has not been in contact with Yanni for a long time, stated: 'I still cannot provide accurate information on whether I can perform with him in Iran or not. But whether with me or without me, Yanni's presence in Iran is very pleasant news that can lead to cultural stability and the clarification of cultural diplomacy.' It is said that Yanni's concert will be held after the months of Muharram and Safar in Iran, and to coordinate and negotiate this matter, his manager arrived in Iran a few days ago from Dubai.