Homayoun Shadjarian

equinox

Twice a year, night and day are of equal length everywhere in the world, with the sun directly above the equator and the southern and northern hemispheres receiving exactly the same amount of sunlight. This astronomical phenomenon is known as the equinox. For many cultures, these are moments of particular spiritual significance. To mark the spring equinox, Klarafestival in partnership with Bozar is organising a weekend that revolves around spiritual music, with Iranian and Persian music represented as well as Christian traditions.

Homayoun Shadjarian

In Iran, the spring equinox is celebrated with 'Noruz', a Persian New Year festival. This tradition is some 5,000 years old and has recently been recognised as a UNESCO world heritage site. For the occasion, Klarafestival and Bozar have invited Iran's most famous singer: the Tehran-born singer Homayoun Shadjarian has a passion for Iranian classical music that is matched by his love of pop and rock music. He owes his musical education not only to the Tehran Conservatory but even more to his father, Mohammad-Reza Shadjarian, a master of Persian traditional music with a distinctive singing style, who performed for many years as a tombak player and singer. Homayoun Shadjarian released his first solo album in 2003 and has since released some 20 CDs. His music combines exceptional sophistication with an emotional intensity.