NYU Skirball and International Contemporary Ensemble Present PEYVAND Next Month

NYU Skirball, the International Contemporary Ensemble presents Peyvand, an evening of eight works by members of the Iranian Female Composers Association (IFCA) on Saturday, October 15 at 7:30 pm at NYU Skirball. The program features world premieres by Niloufar Nourbakhsh and Nina Barzegar; a U.S. premiere by Anahita Abbasi; a NYC premiere by Aida Shirazi, and additional works by Golfam Khayam, Kimia Koochakzadeh-Yazdi, Nasim Khorassani, and Bahar Royaee.

Peyvand features works related to the theme of "eyvand," the Persian word for connectivity. It features the world premiere of C Ce See by Niloufar Nourbakhsh for eight musicians, with Rome Prize winner Suzanne Farrin as composer mentor, and is the first work from Cheswatyr Commissions, the new commissioning and composer mentorship initiative of Composers Now, with support from the Cheswatyr Foundation. The initiative commemorates and celebrates Cece Wasserman, arts philanthropist and advocate for living composers.

In C Ce See, Nourbakhsh expresses the importance of social and artistic connectivity by way of a custom kinetic sculpture, designed by Roxanne Nesbitt, which brings the tones and colors of violins, violas, and cellos into a united sound by a single perpetually moving strand of bow hair. The program also features works by Golfam Khayam, Kimia Koochakzadeh-Yazdi, Nasim Khorassani, Nina Barzegar, Anahita Abbasi, Bahar Royaee, and Aida Shirazi. Steven Shick joins as conductor.

IFCA, co-founded by Anahita Abbasi, Niloufar Nourbakhsh, and Aida Shirazi, is a group of artists who have combined their experiences and creativity to create a platform for otherwise-unheard musical voices from the Iranian diaspora, and build and support a growing community of female and non-binary composers.

International Contemporary Ensemble strives to cultivate a mosaic musical ecosystem that honors the diversity of human experience and expression by commissioning, developing, and performing the works of living artists. The Ensemble is a collective of musicians, digital media artists, producers, and educators who are committed to creating collaborations built on equity, belonging, and cultural responsiveness. Now in its third decade, the Ensemble continues to build new digital and live collaborative environments that strengthen artist agency and musical connections around the world.

Composers Now, founded and led by the Kennedy Center Honors recipient and Pulitzer Prize winning composer, pianist, conductor and activist Tania León since 2011, empowers all living composers, celebrates the diversity of their voices and honors the significance of their artistic contributions to the cultural fabric of society. Its programs include: the Dialogues, Composer Curator and IMPACT series; the annual New York City-wide Festival; creative residencies; commissioning awards; and composer mentoring and career development opportunities for composers at a variety of points along their career trajectories.

Niloufar Nourbakhsh's previous work has been described as "darkly lyrical" by the New York Times. She is the winner of the Hildegard Competition, the recipient of a Female Discovery Grant from Opera America, and a winner of Beth Morrison Projects Next Generation Competition, Cycle 2. Her music has been commissioned and performed by ensembles throughout the United States.

Roxanne Nesbitt is a designer, musician, and sound artist of Indo-Caribbean and European ancestry. Her research explores radical instrument design, the interconnection between composition and improvisation, and participatory sound installation. With formal studies including architecture and classical double bass, Roxanne composes and performs with self-made instruments and a strong visual consideration. Roxanne believes new instruments can facilitate explorations of sound free from colonial legacies of exclusion and perfectionism. She celebrates process making work that is intimate, inquisitive, and exploratory. Roxanne is currently based on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations (Vancouver, CA).

Peyvand will play on Saturday, October 15 at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased online at Peyvand tickets; by visiting the box office in person, Wednesday - Friday from 2:00 pm - 6:00 pm; or by calling 212.998.4941. NYU Skirball is located at 566 LaGuardia Place at Washington Square, New York, New York 10012.

NYU Skirball mandates proof of vaccination for all audience members, performers, crew, and venue staff. Face masks will be required at all times. For complete Covid precautions, visit nyuskirball.org.