TEHRAN -- Vocalist Alireza Qorbani has withdrawn from the concerts that the Tehran Symphony Orchestra planned to perform in Russia in honor of Team Melli, Iran’s national football team, during the FIFA World Cup soccer tournament.

In a statement published by Qorbani on Wednesday, he said the performances might be in disharmony with what the organizers expect.

Qorbani was scheduled to perform a song from poet Saed Baqeri, which was set to music by composer Shahrdad Rohani, according to the Rudaki Foundation, the main organizer of the concerts.

The foundation also published a statement on Wednesday and stated that a new arrangement for the concerts would soon be announced.

Two songs specifically composed for the performances will be performed in Moscow, Saint Petersburg and Kazan.

The lyrics for one of the songs has been composed by Ehsan Afshari while Babak Zarrin has put it to music. Vocalist Salar Aqili is scheduled to perform the song along with the Tehran Symphony Orchestra.

Fereidun Shahbazian, the conductor of the National Orchestra, has also composed music for a poem by Abdoljabbar Kakai, which will also be performed in Russia. The singer of the piece has not been announced as yet.

Photo: Vocalist Alireza Qorbani gives a concert at Tehran’s Milad Tower on January 22, 2015. (Mehr/Mohammadreza Abbasi)

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