Entitled Dusti (friendship), the group is scheduled to perform concerts in Tehran from July 27 to 30, vocalist Shahram Nazeri said during a press conference at the Iranian Artists Forum in Tehran on Tuesday.
Tar virtuoso Hossein Alizadeh, kamancheh virtuosos Ardeshir Kamkar and Saeid Farajpuri, and percussionist Pejman Haddadi also attended the conference.
“The Dusti Ensemble has been formed by Alizadeh and me over the past year,” Nazeri stated.
“Over the past few years, a poison was splashed around among Iranian musicians and a wide gap was created among them,” he lamented.
“Dusti has been established to bring musicians together and to be role model for the younger generation,” he stated.
“Despite the violence in the world and the indifference to art and love, we should try to reach a level and feeling that will keep us in touch with each other,” Nazeri noted.
The Chavosh Ensemble was established in 1978 under the leadership of Mohammadreza Lotafi.
Nazeri, Alizadeh, Parviz Meshkatian, Mohammadreza Shajarian, Ali-Akbar Shekarchi and other prominent musicians worked with the group that created many pieces, which are among the top works of the Iranian traditional music over the past three decades.
A concert performed at the Vahdat Hall in 1988 turned to be the swansong of Chavosh after which the members pursued their careers solely or in other groups. Chavosh was changed into an educational center promoting Iranian traditional music.
“The members of Dusti can continue to pursue their individual careers and on the sideline, they will come together annually for a series of concerts,” Alizadeh said.
Asked about the potential membership of Lotfi and Shajarian in Dusti, Alizadeh said, “There is no restriction on former members of Chavosh to work in the newly formed group… I think Mohammadreza Shajarian feels great that the group has been formed again.”
“The aim is to gather together veteran musicians and old friends in the Dusti Ensemble,” he said. “However, there are no limits on young musicians to take part in activities of the group.”
The sold-out Dusti concerts have been organized by the Qoqnus Music Institute, which will also sponsor the performances.
MMS/YAW
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MNA