Iranian Bahá’í Music Livestream: “Celebrating Resilience”

Highlighting persecution under Iran’s regime and heroic resilience in its face, Crossing Borders Music marks ten years of sharing the music and stories of Bahá’í composers from Iran with this unique livestream program, “Ten Years of ‘Celebrating Resilience: Music by Iranian Bahá’ís.'” Joining the livestream will be composer and Bahá’í Institute for Higher Education alumna Parisa Sabet.
As part of Iran’s systematic persecution of members of the Bahá’í religion, Bahá’ís are banned from attending college or university. In response, Iranian Bahá’ís and their supporters founded the Bahá’í Institute for Higher Education, a grassroots school that holds classes in living rooms. At this school, despite government raids and faculty imprisonment and disappearance, these brave musicians learned and taught music, and continue to share from afar! This livestream shares their inspiring music and stories.
Over the past decade, composer Badie Khaleghian wrote the piece “Hope” for Crossing Borders Music, and composer Farid Javidan wrote the piece “Hamun.” Crossing Borders Music musicians Marianne Parker, piano; Jennifer Leckie, violin; and Tom Clowes, cello will share these pieces of music, as well as “When the Roses Laugh in Full-Blown Beauty” by Parisa Sabet, Nikan Milani’s Piano Trio, and Safa Shahidi’s “Persian Dreams,” specially arranged for Crossing Borders Music by Safa.
This program is made possible thanks to the Paul M Angell Family Foundation, the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, and The MacArthur Funds for Culture, Equity, and the Arts at the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation. Crossing Borders Music acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.
Pictured: In front of a grey background, composer Parisa Sabet sports a sleeveless black dress and a necklace as she looks at the camera and crosses her arms. Credit Aida Sabeti