It’s the Voice that Shall Remain

It's the Voice that shall Remain is a composition for soprano and piano trio. Lilian Farahani and the Amatis Piano Trio premiered the piece at Het Concertgebouw during the Alba Rosa Viva Festival 2018. It received both the second prize and the audience prize from the Alba Rosa Viëtor Composition Competition 2018. The competition was judged by distinguished artists, including Willem Jeths, Tansy Davies, Calliope Tsoupaki, Paolo Marzocchi, and Detlev Glanert.

It's the Voice that shall Remain is a composition on an English translation of a Persian poem by Simin Behbahani (Translated by Sheema Kalbasi). The piece is about women's rights and their demands for freedom. It's a monodrama about an inspired and strong woman. The Soprano singer, as the symbol of that woman, believes that she has to ask for her freedom. Her voice will remain, and her demands will be heard even if she is not present.

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 referred 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 around the world.

Honours & Awards

• Second Prize & Audience Award at the Alba Rosa Viëtor Composition Competition 2018.