(Promotional partner: Persian Arts Festival)

(photo courtesy of Persian Arts Festival)

Date: Saturday, June 4, 2011
Time: 8:00pm
Venue: Town Hall (123 West 43rd Street, New York, NY 10036, 212-840-2824)
Tickets: $100, 85, 75 & 55 (Ticketmaster)

Sima Bina, one of Iran’s most distinguished folk and classical singers, makes a rare appearance in New York with the highly acclaimed Lian Ensemble. Together they will present a stunning blend of music influenced by Persian traditional and folk music. Evocative and exhilarating, the music presented is an authentic expression of a way of life and a rejection of rigid boundaries, preferring simplicity, authenticity, joy and hope.

For one night at The Town Hall, hear Sima Bina and Lian Ensemble bring to life the wonder of Persian folk and classical music!!!

Why is it so important to see Sima Bina?

Since the Iranian revolution in 1979, Iranian female solo vocalists are only permitted to perform for all-female audiences and conduct classes for female students in private homes. They are not allowed to play or sing solo in front of a male audience! Female vocalists may perform for male audiences only as a part of a chorus, never individually. So when you go to Iran and your are a male, you have no chance to attend a Sima Bina concert!

(photo courtesy of Persian Arts Festival)

Sima Bina, who is also a visual artist, has taught many female students to sing. She has also been permitted to give concerts for women in Iran, and has performed widely abroad. In 1994, she became the first Iranian woman singer to tour Europe and the US since the Revolution. She collects and performs folk songs from the Khorasan region in the northeast and Lorestan in the southwest, in addition to the classical repertoire.

About the Lian Ensemble

Based in Los Angeles, The Lian Ensemble is a group of virtuoso performers and composers.Their powerful compositions fuse the Mystical Persian musical heritage with the contemporary sensibilities of Contemporary Jazz. Combining a unique musical vision with dauntless dedication to experimentation, they create a synthesis of mystical world music composed of traditional and folk melodies and instruments. The members are: Amir Koushkani (composer, tar, setar), Sharvin Mohajer (kemancheh), Ali Nourbakhsh (daf, dayereh), Pirayeh Pourafur (composer, setar, tar) and Houman Pourmehdi (composer, donbak, daf, ney).

Enjoy this concert!