Pacific Symphony to Celebrate Iranian New Year

Washington, DC – From March 22-27, the Pacific Symphony, in collaboration with Farhang Foundation, will celebrate the festivities of Norooz–the Iranian New Year which marks the start of spring and has been celebrated for thousands of years.

The Pacific Symphony, led by the acclaimed Music Director Carl St. Clair, is the largest orchestra formed in the United States since the late 1970s. Through its expansion and exploration of non-European sounds and diverse artists from across the world, it has set an unprecedented impact on Western classical music. This year, the symphony has lifted the baton on an incredible initiative to explore Persian classical music through its acclaimed American Composers Festival (ACF).

The festival will feature three programs highlighting authentic Persian music. Guest artists include the highly acclaimed Shams Ensemble, Grammy Award-winning soprano Hila Plitmann, Iran’s most critically acclaimed conductor Farhad Mechkat and the outstanding Pacific Chorale. Among the key features will be a world premiere by one of today’s finest composers, Richard Danielpour, whose oratorio, “Toward a Season of Peace” was inspired by his own Persian ancestry and designated specifically by Pacific Symphony for this occasion.

The festival will take on an innovative program using various formats and themes to creatively contextualize the music alongside the cultural festivities. Among the highlights will be the pre-concert activities in the lobby, including the showcasing of the traditional Haft-Sin– an ancient decorative layout of seven articles beginning with the Persian letter “S” or “Sin” over a traditional tablecloth.

This program will take place from March 22 – 27 at Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, California. For tickets or additional information please contact ACF 2012 at (714) 755-5799 or visit www.PacificSymphony.org/ACF.

Tickets can also be purchased at: Wholesome Choice in Irvine, 
Super Irvine, 
Music Box in Westwood and 
Ketab Corp inWestwood.

(Use promo code FESTIVAL at the time of purchasing tickets online to receive 50% off the March 27th performance, when buying tickets for any of the March 22-25 concerts).