Source: Bethanienklooster

Payvand.com - For the first time in Amsterdam, on March 1st, 2008, a Persian piano recital will be held. The young Persian pianist and journalist, Pejman Akbarzadeh, who immigrated to the Netherlands in 2006, will perform works by Javad Badizadeh, Mostafa Kasravi, Rouhollah Khaleghi, Homayoun Khorram, Javad Maroufi, Anoushiravan Rohani, Shardad Rohani and Parviz Yahaghi. All pieces have been arranged for piano by the pianist.

The first piano was imported to Persia (Iran) in years of 1806. It was a gift from Napoleon Bonaparte to the Persian emperor Fath-Ali Shah. There were very few similarities between the mechanism of the piano and the 'santour' (a Persian musical instrument) so at the time as there were no pianists in the country, Sorourol-Molk (a court musician) tried to play some melodies on piano. Since that time, the usage of piano in Persian music was continued in two different main ways. Some musicians who used just their own 'talent' and were very faithful to classical Persian music and, some others who were educated in Western conservatories and used Persian melodies just as an 'inspiration'.

Pejman's interpretation of Persian music on the piano is different from both styles. He is trying to make his arrangements sound very Persian, but not completely different from the standard playing of the piano.

Pejman Akbarzadeh was born in 1980 and started to play piano at the age of 9. He continued his piano studies more seriously with Farman Behboud, a former professor at the Tehran Conservatory. At the same time Pejman started his research about 20th century Persian (Iranian) musicians' activities and when he was 18 published his first book on this issue. The book became a reference in various publications such as Encyclopedia Iranica.

From 2001 to 2006 Pejman was the representative of Persian Gulf Online Organization in Tehran and also contributed to various Persian medias both inside and outside his homeland such as the dailies Shargh and Yaas-e Now (both were banned by Iran's regime).

In 2006 Pejman immigrated to the Netherlands and currently is the music director at Radio Zamaneh in Amsterdam.

The recital has been sponsored by Persian Caviar Company in The Hague.

More information about the event in Dutch and English:

http://www.bethanienklooster.com/concerten.php?id=269

http://www.bethanienklooster.com/english/concerten.php?id=269