Mojgan Shajarian, Pejman Hadadi & Sourena Sefati Present Persian Classical Music at Roulette

This entrancing concert brings together three brilliant musicians in the world of Persian music: the exquisite vocalist Mojgan Shajarian, daughter and disciple of the legendary Mohammed Reza Shajarian; Pejman Hadadi, one of the most innovative Iranian percussionists today; and santur (zither) virtuoso Sourena Sefati. Mojgan Shajarian performed with her father at major festivals and concert halls in Europe, North America and Australia, and studied with Mohammed Reza Lotfi and Hossein Alizadeh. Pejman Hadadi, known for his modern approach to the traditional tombak (goblet drum), is noted for his work with the Dastan Ensemble and Zarbang, as well as for his performances with such celebrated artists as Hossein Alizadeh, Shahram Nazeri, Parissa, Sima Bina and Ali Akbar Moradi. Sourena Sefati, who has appeared in concerts in Africa, Asia, Europe and the US, has been a member of prestigious ensembles and a featured soloist with various Iranian orchestras. An in-demand composer, he carries the ancient Persian musical tradition into the contemporary era with stunning original works. Their program, entitled The Judas Tree (Arghavān), features lyrics by one of Iran's greatest living poets, Hooshang Ebtehaj (Sāyeh), and music by Sourena Sefati.

Mojgan Shajarian, born in Tehran, is an acclaimed musician, painter, graphic designer and sculptress who holds a BA in Music from the University of Arts, and an MA in Graphic Design from the Islamic Azad University. She immigrated to the US in 2012 and currently lives in Southern California where she performs and teaches Persian classical singing (awaz) and setar (lute). Her first independent album, Arghavan, was released in 2019 with music composed by Sourena Sefati. In recent years she has performed with the all-female Shahrazad Ensemble, NuAeen and the Sorvad Ensemble. Her music has inspired many women in Iran, where the role of women in music has been limited.

Pejman Hadadi, born in Tehran, is one of the most prolific percussionists from Iran. He began studying tombak, the central drum in traditional Persian music, with master musicians Assadollah Hejazi and Bahman Rajabi, and later taught himself to play the daf, the sacred frame drum. He immigrated to the US in 1989 and began his professional career in 1991, performing and recording with ensembles of Persian classical music, as well as Indian, Turkish and American musicians. In 1995, he joined the celebrated Dastan Ensemble, and, in 2000, he co-founded the first Iranian percussion ensemble, Zarbang; with both groups he made acclaimed groundbreaking recordings. He has created a distinct signature style that has greatly impacted tombak players of his own generation and later ones. He is a two-time recipient of the Durfee Foundation Master Musician Award for dissemination and propagation of Persian music in the US, and, in 1999, founded the Neyreez World Music Institute in Southern California. He has composed a large body of music for dance, and performed extensively in North America, Canada, Europe, Iran and Japan at prestigious international festivals and concert halls.

Sourena Sefati, born in Ramsar, Iran, has dedicated his life to mastering the santur. He earned a BA in music in 2002 from the University of Tehran and an MA in Iranian music performance in 2009 from the Art University in Tehran, where he won the award for Best Composer of Iranian Music. In Iran, Sefati launched a successful career as a performer, a recording artist with appearances on more than 50 albums, and an in-demand composer with numerous commissions. He performed as a featured soloist with the Iran Broadcasting Symphony Orchestra (2009 to 2014), the Iranian Chamber Orchestra (2009), and Mehrnavazan National Orchestra (2011). In 2016, his album Az Roozegare Rang Amiz (From Deceitful Ages) won him the award for Best Composer of Iran. Since moving to the US in 2014, he has worked with the Iraqi oud master Rahim AlHaj, organized the Alborz Trio with Deborah Ungar (clarinet) and Gregory Gutin (percussion), and established the NuAeen ensemble with Mojgan Shajarian and Pejman Hadadi. His recordings include One Sky with Rahim AlHaj, The Sound of Peace, and Arghavan with Mojgan Shajarian.

Made possible in part with public funding provided by the National Endowment for the Arts and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the New York State legislature.

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