In the 3rd edition of the Alba Rosa Viva! Festival, I won the shared Second Prize and the Audience Prize from the Alba Rosa Viëtor Composition Competition 2018. The prize has been awarded for my "It's the Voice that shall Remain" for Soprano and Piano Trio.
The piece was premiered during the festival by the soprano Lilian Farahani and Amatis Piano Trio at the Concertgebouw. It is recorded/broadcast by NPO Radio 4.
About the piece, "It's the Voice that shall Remain"
I composed "It's the Voice that shall Remain" in 2018 for the Soprano and Piano Trio on a strong poem by Simin Behbahani. The poem has been translated by Sheema Kalbasi. The piece is about women's rights and their demands for freedom. It's a mono-drama of an inspired and strong woman. As the symbol of that woman, the Soprano singer believes that she has to ask for her freedom. Her voice will remain, and her demands will be heard even if she is absent.
"خواهی نباشم و خواهم بود دور از دیار نخواهم شد تا “گود” هست، میان دارم اهل کنار، نخواهم شد" *** You want to erase my being, but in this land I shall remain" "I will continue the dance as long as I sustain simin behbahani - translated by sheema kalbasi
Simin Behbahani was a prominent Iranian contemporary poet, lyricist and activist. She was an icon of modern Persian poetry, Iranian intelligentsia and literati who affectionately refer to her as the lioness of Iran. She was nominated twice, in 1999 and 2002, for the Nobel Prize in literature and received many literary accolades worldwide.
#Memories - 2nd of December 2018
* The scores and parts of this piece are available exclusively on this website. For more information, contact me via the contact page.