Mohsen Namjoo

Classical and Contemporary Persian and Arab MusicAl-Bustan Music is pleased to open the Fall 2014 Concert Series with Iranian singer/songwriter/setar master MOHSEN NAMJOO.Mohsen Namjoo will collaborate with Al-Bustan Takht Ensemble:Hanna Khoury – violinHicham Chami – qanunKinan Abou-afach - celloHafez Kotain – percussion [highlight]Saturday, October 18 at 8pmLocation: Trinity Center for Urban Life, 22nd and Spruce St. (see map)[/highlight] [activatebtn]PURCHASE TICKETS HERE*[/activatebtn] [smalltext]Al-Bustan is committed to the highest-quality concert experience for our audience. Due to the nature and length of this program, children under 8 years of age are not permitted. We thank you for your understanding.[/smalltext] [highlight]Thursday, October 16, 6:30-8 PM – FREELocation: The Rotunda , 4014 Walnut Street (see map)[/highlight] Artist’s Talk and Music DemonstrationMohsen Namjoo discusses his life and music, and being labeled a political dissident by his home country of Iran.Co-sponsored by:The Rotunda and University of Pennsylvania’s Middle East Center and Greenfield Intercultural CenterMohsen Namjoo is an Iranian artist, songwriter, singer, music scholar and setar (traditional Persian lute) player based in New York. Born in 1976 in Torbat-e Jam, Iran, Namjoo began his musical training at the age of twelve, studying under Nasrollah Nasehpoor until the age of eighteen. In 1994 Namjoo began to study Theater and Music at the University of Tehran, where he was trained under Alireza Mashayekhi, Azin Movahed and other masters. Namjoo also studied Iranian folk music under Haj Ghorbane Soleimani. His unique music style resembles a patchwork of Persian classical poetry of Hafez, Rumi or Saadi with western music, namely rock, blues, and jazz. Hailed as “the Bob Dylan of Iran” by the New York Times, Mohsen Namjoo is a visionary artist who speaks for and touches the souls of today’s youth. Seamlessly blending the Classical with the Modern, the ancient with the current, Mohsen Namjoo is a true musical maverick.This program is made possible by the generous support of the William Penn Foundation and Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Arts’ Building Bridges Program