ASIA SOCIETY PRESENTS
PARISA AND DARIUSH TALAI: PERSIAN CLASSICAL MUSIC

Saturday and Sunday, September 21* & 22, 2002 at 8:00 p.m.
*Lecture/Demonstration on September 21 at 6:30 p.m.

At Asia Society and Museum
725 Park Avenue (at 70th Street)
New York City

The Asia Society invites audiences to experience the magic and mystery of traditional Persian music this Fall. Internationally renowned artists Parisa and Dariush Talai will present two evenings of Persian classical music, offering New York audiences a rare chance to enjoy one of the world's great musical traditions in an intimate setting.

Parisa, one of Iran's foremost female vocalists, is a master of the radif or classical Persian repertoire. This traditional musical style is based on improvisation within a modal structure known as dastgah. The performer's skill rests in the extemporaneous vocal ornamentation of this basic melodic framework. Parisa's innovative approach and her mastery of this form have won her a passionate following in Iran and abroad. Parisa has been barred from performing publicly in Iran since 1979, though she has many students and performs frequently on the international stage.

In Persian classical music, the poems, which are chosen by the vocalist, also play a crucial role. Parisa will sing selected verses from Rumi, Hafez and Sa'adi - Iran's greatest poets of all time - conveying profound spiritual concepts, passion for God the beloved and praising of the beauty of nature. The rich imagery of the words comes alive through Parisa's moving rendition of the poetry.

Parisa is accompanied on the tar by Dariush Talai, who is recognized today as one of the finest interpreters of traditional Persian music. Talai is not just a leading exponent but also a philosopher and aesthetician of Persian music. He has invented a system of notation, codifying the concept of the radif, and also added a complete analysis of its syntax and modal structure. Together, these two artists are playing an important role in the evolution of this enchanting art.

Tickets to the performances are $25 for nonmembers and $20 for members, seniors and students. The lecture/demonstration on Saturday, September 21 at 6:30 p.m. is free. For information, please call (212) 517-ASIA or visit www.AsiaSociety.org.

Major support for performance programs at the Asia Society is provided by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. Additional support for the Asia Society's cultural programs is provided by the Friends of Asian Arts, Wallace - Reader's Digest Funds, The Starr Foundation, the Booth Ferris Foundation, the Hazen Polsky Foundation Inc., and the Harold J. and Ruth Newman Philanthropic Fund.

The Asia Society is America's leading institution dedicated to fostering understanding of Asia and communication between Americans and the peoples of Asia and the Pacific. A nonprofit, nonpartisan educational institution, the Asia Society presents a wide range of programs including major art exhibitions, performances, media programs, international conferences and lectures, and initiatives to improve elementary and secondary education about Asia. The Asia Society is headquartered in New York City, with regional centers in Washington, D.C., Houston, Los Angeles, Hong Kong and Melbourne, Australia, and representative offices in San Francisco, Manila and Shanghai. For more information, contact the Asia Society, 725 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10021. (212) 288-6400. (www.asiasociety.org).

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