Friday, January 31, 2025 @ 6:30pm – 7:00pm (EST)
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Included with purchase of ticket to "Song of the North" at 8pm ($28-$68)

Strathmore welcomes "Song of the North" ticket-holders to a free pre-show event featuring the rich sounds and sights of Persian classical music.

Immerse yourself in digital displays of stunning artistic renderings of the Shahnameh ("The Book of Kings"), on which the main-stage performance is based. Musicians Miead Nikfarjam and Dr. Kimia Hesabi will provide interactive performances on traditional Persian instruments, including the daf and tabak, bringing ancient sounds to life.

Please note: This performance is only available to "Song of the North" ticket-holders. Click here for tickets and more information: https://www.strathmore.org/events-tickets/in-the-music-center/hamid-rahmanian-s-song-of-the-north/

About Kimia Hesabi, violin & tabak

Dr. Kimia Hesabi is a violist, educator, and administrator currently residing in the D.C area. Hesabi is the the Co-Director of Education and Engagement at the National Philharmonic, where she co-creates programs, opportunities, and community initiatives that are centered around artistic, educational, and social impact.

Kimia is an active performer in the USA and has performed in various prestigious concert halls across the country as well as her home country Iran. An active chamber musician, Ms. Hesabi is the founder of Yasna Ensemble. This ensemble performs contemporary compositions and arrangements that are inspired by Middle Eastern classical and folk music. Hesabi has performed with several orchestras and ensembles in the Middle East such as the Tehran Symphony Orchestra, Iranian National Orchestra, and the Tehran Philharmonic, and is an active performer in the USA as both a concert violist, and chamber musician. In her DMA dissertation project, "Viola from Iran: Continuing and Expanding the Trajectory of a Rich Cultural History," Ms. Hesabi has performed, researched, and recorded an album of several commissioned and premiered works for viola by composers from the Iranian diaspora.

https://www.kimiahesabi.com/

About Miead Nikfarjam, daf

Miead Nikfarjam is a mechanical engineer and accomplished Daf (frame drum) player from Shahsavar, Iran. He began his journey with the Daf in 1999, developing a deep connection to the instrument and Persian rhythm. In 2006, he studied under Maestro Masoud Habibi, where he mastered rhythmic fundamentals and modern Daf techniques. After reaching an advanced level, he began training students and performing extensively. Miead has collaborated with renowned ensembles, performing at both local and international concerts. Now based in the U.S., he teaches the Daf at the University of Maryland and the greater DC metro area, sharing his passion for Persian music and rhythm with a new generation.