Symphonic Orchestra Concert and Another Controversy Over Women's Singing

In recent days, two musical news items have attracted significant attention. On one hand, the Tehran Symphony Orchestra is set to resume its activities with a performance at the closing ceremony of the Fajr Music Festival, and on the other hand, the release of an album featuring male and female vocalists has sparked controversy, leading to discussions in the Cultural Commission of the Islamic Consultative Assembly. According to the Mehr News Agency, on Saturday, February 11, 2023, Pyruz Arjomand announced at a press conference for the 30th Fajr Music Festival that the Tehran Symphony Orchestra will perform on March 1, 2023, during the closing ceremony of this festival. This concert, marking the 82nd anniversary of the Tehran Symphony Orchestra, will be conducted by Manouchehr Sahbaei and Shahram Nazeri, accompanied by the orchestra's choir. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is also expected to attend this concert, having previously promised the revival of the Tehran Symphony Orchestra and the National Orchestra of Iran. The last performance of the Tehran Symphony Orchestra dates back to the 28th Fajr Music Festival, featuring vocalist Salar Aghili and conducted by Nader Mortezapour. However, this performance was not particularly grand, as only a few musicians participated. In recent days, the release of an album in the official Iranian music market has become a controversial topic, reaching the Islamic Consultative Assembly. According to IRNA, Seyed Ali Taheri, spokesperson for the Cultural Commission of the Assembly, stated that in a meeting on Sunday, February 12, the members discussed the unveiling of a female soloist's work and contacted Ali Moradkhani, the Deputy Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance. The album in question, 'To Ra Ey Kohan Boom O Bar Doost Daram,' composed by Peyman Khazeni, features duets by Noushin Tafi and Mohsen Karamati and contains six pieces of Iranian classical music. The Music Office of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance officially explained that there is no legal prohibition against issuing permits for male and female duets, and the ministry has never granted permits for works featuring female soloists. Ali Moradkhani also mentioned in an interview that more care should have been taken in the album's cover release, as a solo image of a woman on the cover has led to misunderstandings regarding female solo singing.