Proudly Presents

Maestro Shardad Rohani’s

The Inaugural Season

Friday, January 31, 2025 - 7:30PM

Join us for the inaugural season and Orange County debut of the new
ROUDAKI ORCHESTRA
comprised of forty incredible musicians featuring soprano
RAEEKA SHEHABI-YAGHMAI
and the
AVA CHOIR
all under the direction of
Maestro
SHARDAD ROHANI

at

4242 Campus Drive, Irvine California 92612

View Event Program

As the founder and artistic director, it is my great pleasure to introduce the newly formed Roudaki Orchestra to Southern California.

Named after the renowned ninth-century Iranian poet, singer, and musician Roudaki—celebrated as the "father of Persian poetry"—the orchestra honors his legacy and the cultural heritage he represents. The name also evokes the splendid Roudaki Hall, built by Eugene Aftandilian and modeled after the Vienna Opera House. Inaugurated by their Majesties Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and Farah Pahlavi in 1967, Roudaki Hall brought classical music to Iran on a stage comparable to the great venues of Europe and the world.

My vision for the Roudaki Orchestra is to celebrate the rich musical traditions of Iran by performing works from both past and contemporary Iranian composers. Additionally, we aim to educate and inspire a new generation of musicians by introducing them to classical music and providing opportunities for underrepresented communities and individuals to play in a professional ensemble.

As we say in our beautiful language:
برگ سبزیست تحفه درویش
(A green leaf is a humble gift).

Shardad Rohani

 About Shardad Rohani

Conductor and composer Shardad Rohani was born in Tehran and educated at the Music Academy and Conservatory of Music in Vienna, Austria. Rohani formally served as the musical director and principal conductor of the Tehran Symphony from 2016 to 2020. The resurrection of the symphony in the early 2000s has been instrumental in connecting Tehran to the international arts community, including recent collaborations with noted conductors such as Riccardo Muti. In addition to his role as director of the Tehran Symphony (2016-2020), Rohani wrote and performed the anthem for the Iran National Soccer team’s appearance during the World Cup in 2018. He was also commissioned to compose the music for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 13th Asian Olympic Games held in Thailand.

An acclaimed composer and conductor, Rohani has worked with some of the top ensembles in the world including the London Symphony Orchestra, the Prague Symphony Orchestra, the Vancouver Opera Orchestra, the Austrian Chamber Orchestra and the London Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra. He captured the attention of audiences around the world as the conductor, arranger and performer for the open-air concert “Yanni Live at the Acropolis,” the second-best selling music concert video of all time. The show was simultaneously televised all around the world; more than 500 million people watched the live concert in 65 countries. His most recent project is the “Sinus Persicus Suite,” originally recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra and the London Voices at Abbey Road Studios. Over the past year, the “Sinus Persicus Suite” has been performed throughout Europe and the United States. Rohani has been the recipient of several important scholarships and awards both in Europe and the United States, including the A.K.M Scholarship (Vienna, Austria), the ASCAP Scholarship (Los Angeles, Calif.) and the Jerry Fielding Award for film composers. His recording of classical masterpieces, including all of Tchaikovsky’s ballets, have received rave reviews by Japan’s In Tune magazine.

About Raeeka Shehabi-Yaghmai

Iranian soprano Raeeka Shehabi-Yaghmai possesses a unique fusion of versatility, strength, and sensitivity in both her singing and stage presence. Recent highlights include performances of Strauss’ Four Songs, Op. 27, Britten’s Quatre Chansons Françaises, and Berlioz’s Les Nuits d’Été with Prometheus Symphony, the title role in Suor Angelica with Phénix Opera, Lauretta (Gianni Schicchi) with West Bay Opera, and the Narrator and Opera Singer in The Story of Nowruz with the NICArt Foundation. Raeeka made her international debut in the title role of Carmen at Opera Brașov in Romania and as Mujer 1 in Federico Ibarra’s Despertar al sueño at Teatro Degollado in Guadalajara, Mexico, co-produced by West Bay Opera’s New Opera Works and Escenia Ensamble of Mexico City. Equally at home in new music, she has collaborated with composers such as Loris Tjeknavorian, David Garner, Alden Jenks, and Kamiar Mohajer. A favorite on the West Coast, she has worked with companies including San Francisco Opera Center, North Bay Opera, Livermore Opera, Oakland Opera Theater, and more. An avid interpreter of Persian folksongs, she founded the Persian Melody Project in 2007 and has performed with the Oakland East Bay Symphony, Redwood Symphony, and Maestro Loris Tjeknavorian in major concerts across the U.S.