Sara Naeini

While it isn't unusual for athletes to be musicians, it is unique in Iranian culture, particularly for a female athlete. Sara Naeini (a renowned national champion gymnast since she was eight years old) transformed herself into becoming one of her country's most influential traditional pop/rock musicians.

She caught the music bug at 18 and has not looked back since. The bedrock of her sound is informed by traditional classical Iranian compositions performed with oud, sifan, daf and other middle eastern instruments, and a healthy dose of western keyboards, drums, bass, electronics and guitars. Her ethereal voice adds beautiful tones, and when mixed with pop/rock notes, becomes absolutely transcendent.

Masoud Rezaei

Masoud Rezaei is an Iranian composer/ Setar (Persian Lute) player based in Los Angeles, CA.

He was born in 1986 in Iran. Masoud Started learning the Setar at the age of eleven, later he continued his education and got his B.A in "Iranian Traditional Music Performance". He had the privilege of being taught by Masters : Zolfonoun, Babaei and Shoari for many years. He started to experience a personal musical journey and the result was released on 2015 as an album "Nothingness" and a piece of this album was nominated for the best world music in HMMA in 2018. Masoud released his second album “Until” (which is the reflection of very hard days when he was under a lot of pressure for protesting against Islamic Republic in Iran) in May 2019 featuring renowned musician “Mohsen Namjoo”.

He has performed many concerts with great musicians in Iran and US.

About the Festival:

LOCATION: 300 block of South Grand Avenue (street closed from 2nd Street to Hope Place)

Audacity of Sound is a free, non-stop, immersive and interactive seven-hour, live musical extravaganza produced by the innovative performing arts organization, Grand Performances. This festival showcases GP’s joyous love for music from around the world and our own back yard championing Los Angeles’ deep talent pool producing signature, one-of-a-kind collaborations telling L.A. stories - both then and now.

Featuring jubilant gospel (with a sing a long!) opera, capoeira, a marching band, boogie woogie piano, food trucks, a children’s reading room and more. With anticipated attendance of 10,000 -- 15,000 this will be one of the largest events in GP’s history! Confirmed artists include: David Garza and Friends; MUSAS: Chavela, Nina, Violetta; rising Indigenous Canadian star, Jeremy Dutcher; and The Gospel of Madame Biddy produced by Dexter Story, JROCC and Jae Deal, the Garfield High School Marching Band, audience participatory dance segments with Amy O’Neal and more artists to come!

More Event info: http://www.grandperformances.org/AUDACITY-of-SOUND

Venue info: http://grandperformances.org/amenities

Directions and Parking info: http://grandperformances.org/directions