TEHRAN – The third edition of the Show of Hands Festival has put its spotlight on solo woodwind instruments improvisation, the organizers announced on Thursday.

Over 10 top musicians from across the world have been invited to perform during the event, which will take place at Tehran’s Niavaran Cultural Center.

Italian jazz musician Francesco Cafiso who plays alto saxophone and Norwegian jazz saxophonist Håkon Kornstad will give their performances on the opening day of the event on August 23.

Iranian clarinetist Soheil Peyghambari and Swiss alto saxophonist and clarinetist Stefan Haselbacher, who is also known as Sha, will perform on the second day of the festival.

The festival will go on with performances by Swiss jazz clarinetist Simon Wyrsch and Iranian clarinetist Mona Riahi.

Flutist and saxophonist Anders Hagberg from Sweden and jazz saxophonist Yuri Honing from the Netherlands will go on stage on August 26.

On the next day, performances will be held by German saxophonist and clarinetist Klaus Gesing and French saxophonist David Prez.

Polish jazz saxophonist Adam Pieronczyk and German trumpeter Markus Stockhausen are the performers for the closing day on August 28.
  
All the musicians will hold workshops during the festival and young Iranian musicians are scheduled to give ten-minute performances before the main program each night.

Several documentary films are also scheduled to be screened on the sidelines of the festival.

German filmmaker Julian Benedikt’s 2006 film “Play Your Own Thing: A Story of Jazz in Europe” about the history of European jazz is one the documentaries.

American director John Scheinfeld’s 2016 documentary “Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane” about American jazz saxophonist John William Coltrane will also screen.

“Wayne Shorter: Zero Gravity” directed by American filmmaker Dorsey Alavi in 2019 about her fellow American jazz saxophonist Wayne Shorter is also among the films.

Photo: A poster for the 3rd Show of Hands Festival that will be organized at Tehran’s Niavaran Cultural Center.

MMS/YAW