RESERVE TICKETS

Persia After Hours:

An Evening of Poetry, Dance and Ancient Iranian Melodies

THE GETTY VILLA

Saturday, July 16, 2022  |  6-9 pm 

Free Event | Advance Reservations Required

Presenting

Mehrdad Arabifard and his Ensemble, featuring vocalists
Shayandokht Abedinimanesh and Khosro Ansari 
in
Music of the Mystics: Ancient Melodies of Iran

Sholeh Wolpé & André Megerdichian
Dance and music set to the poetry of 
12th‑century Sufi mystic Attar.

Traditional Iranian music by master guitar player Hamed Poursaee and a calligraphy demonstration by Mohtadi Mirak prior to the concert performances.

Persia After Hours is a collaboration between
Farhang Foundation, UCLA’s Herb Alpert School of Music, and Getty.

SCHEDULE

6:00 pm – 7:45 pm
Musical Performance

Enjoy a repertoire of classical and traditional Persian music by master guitar player Hamed Poursaee in the tranquil setting of the Villa’s Inner Peristyle Garden.

6:00 pm in the Outer Peristyle
Calligraphy Presentation

Watch artist Mohtadi Mirak transform a blank canvas into a work of art using the words of ancient Persian poets and traditional calligraphy techniques. Guests are encouraged to observe, ask questions, and interact with Mohtadi as he works.

At 7:30 pm, gather to hear him say a few words about what he has created.

8:00 pm – 8:20 pm
Resonance Collective Presents:
An Evening of Intimate Poetry, Dance, and Music
Sholeh Wolpé & André Megerdichian

Award-winning Iranian American poet, playwright, and librettist Sholeh Wolpé and Armenian American choreographer André Megerdichian present dance and music, set to the poetry of 12th-century Sufi mystic Attar. This mystical journey is inspired by the exhibition Persia: Ancient Iran and the Classical World and features poems drawn from Wolpé’s translation of Attar’s The Conference of the Birds.

Featuring:

Sholeh Wolpé, Poetry Performance
André Megerdichian, Choreographer / Director
Tippy Dringman, Dance
Catalina Jackson - Urueña, Dance

8:20 pm – 9:00 pm
Music of the Mystics: Ancient Melodies of Iran
Mehrdad Arabifard, Khosro Ansari, Shayandokht Abedinimanesh

An evening of the traditional music of Persia, exploring mystical and contemplative melodies from its turbulent history.

Multi-instrumentalist maestro Mehrdad Arabifard, with over 30 years of performances on international stages, directs an evening of traditional music of Iran—melodies that have been handed down through the generations by the masters to the students (known as the radif). This poetically mesmeric experience is inspired by Rudaki, one of the earliest Persian poets, as well as singers and musicians of the Samanid Empire.

Featuring:

Khosro Ansari, Vocals
Shayandokht Abedinimanesh, Vocals
Naghmeh Sarang, Kamancheh
Mani Bolouri, Ghaychak
Aidin Okhovat, Tar
Mehrdad Arabifard, Tombak / Daf