TEHRAN – Iran’s National Orchestra gave a performance as part of an Iranian cultural festival on Wednesday night at the Conference Hall of the UNESCO Palace in Beirut.

The concert under the baton of Bardia Kiaras with vocalist Arash Kamangar was performed in two sections, the first of which featured “In Praise of Morning”, “Khusheh Chin”, “Fascinating Spring”, “The Message” and “Kind-Religion Soil”.

The concert then went on with “Restless for Balqis” composed by Iranian musician Fardin Khalatbari with lyrics from Ahura Iman in sympathy with Lebanon on the disastrous blast in Beirut in 2020.

Conducted by Lebanese maestro Andre AlHaj, the National Orchestra also recorded the music video “Restless for Balqis”.

It was released during a special ceremony at Tehran’s Rudaki Hall in September 2020. Hussein al-Ajami, an advisor at the Lebanese Ministry of Culture, also attended the ceremony.

The Iranian cultural week named “Alfajr Cultural Days”, opened with a performance by the National Orchestra last Monday at the Lebanese Association of Arts in Beirut. 

An Iranian delegation headed by Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Mohammad-Mehdi Esmaeili also attended the performance.

Esmaeili held meetings with his Lebanese counterpart, Abbas Mortada, discussing the expansion of cultural relations between the two countries.

The cultural program is being organized in collaboration with the association, a Hezbollah-run center that is also known as Rissalat.

Exhibitions of artworks, including paintings, photographs, cartoons and handicrafts, are currently underway during the event.

Groups of artists in different media are participating in the festival to hold workshops and performances at several cultural centers across Beirut. 

Several Iranian films, including director Mohammad-Hossein Mahdavian’s political thriller “Trace of Blood”, have been chosen to be screened at the festival.

Groups of Iranian literati and Lebanese cultural figures have also been invited to hold poetry nights and literary sessions during the festival, which will end on Saturday.

Photo: Iran’s National Orchestra performs a concert during the Alfajr Cultural Days at the Conference Hall of the UNESCO Palace in Beirut on March 2, 2022.

MMS/YAW