The National Orchestra of Iran opened the country’s Cultural Week in Russia on Monday evening with a performance at Moscow’s historic Bolshoi Theater. Conducted by Homayoun Rahimian and featuring vocalist Mojtaba Asgari, the ensemble brought traditional and contemporary Iranian compositions to one of Russia’s most prominent cultural venues in an event attended by roughly 1,700 people.
Opening Night at the Bolshoi Theater
The opening gala brought together senior officials from both nations, including Iranian Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Seyyed Abbas Salehi, Russian Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova, and Iran’s Ambassador to Russia Kazem Jalali. The evening began with the national anthems of Iran and Russia before the orchestra launched into a diverse musical program.
The concert aimed to establish a musical dialogue between the two traditions by pairing Iranian compositions with European classical repertoire. The program opened with “Adam,” composed by Fardin Khalatbari to lyrics by Afshin Yadollahi. The ensemble then performed “Naghmegar-e Eshq,” composed by Ali Jafarian with lyrics by Bijan Taraghi, followed by Behzad Abdi’s “Concerto for Tar and Orchestra,” which integrated the distinctive sound of the traditional Iranian tar into a symphonic arrangement.
The program continued with a second Khalatbari and Yadollahi collaboration, “Chelleh-ye Eshq.” To honor Russia’s classical heritage, the orchestra performed an excerpt from Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s “Swan Lake.” The concert concluded with “Iran-e Ostovar” (also noted in coverage as “Iran-e Pāydār,” or “Steadfast Iran”), composed by Rahimian with lyrics by Hassan Rahimi.
Bilateral Statements on Cultural Diplomacy
In his opening address, Salehi framed the event within a long history of intellectual and artistic exchange between Iran and Russia. He outlined Iranian culture through philosophy, poetry, literature, visual arts, and architecture, emphasizing historical interactions with neighboring societies.
Lyubimova stressed the role of cultural cooperation in strengthening bilateral ties. She highlighted the combination of Iranian traditional instruments with symphonic arrangements and classical Russian works as a clear example of successful artistic exchange.
Expansion Across Four Russian Cities
The Moscow concert serves as the launchpad for a much wider cultural initiative spanning Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan, and Astrakhan. A delegation of 168 Iranian artists and cultural figures representing roughly 30 creative fields has traveled to Russia for the festival.
The nationwide program encompasses music, visual arts, handicrafts, theater, cinema, animation, video games, literature, and manuscripts. Film screenings are designed to introduce Russian audiences to contemporary Iranian cinema and foster professional connections between the two countries’ film industries. Following its performance in Moscow, the National Orchestra of Iran is scheduled to continue its tour in Kazan.
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