The Louvre Museum reported the resounding success of two spring concerts celebrating Persian music. On May 17, vocalist Pantea Alvandipour performed classical repertory from the 19th century, accompanied Siamak Jahangiry (ney), Maryam Gharassou (tar lute), Ali Bahrami Fard (santour cithara) and Pasha Karami (percussions). This was a moving experience for Ms. Alvandipour, who has never performed in front of an audience and outside of Iran. This event was attended by an enthusiastic crowd of 350 people who gave the performers a standing ovation. Maede Tabatabai Niya was also applauded by a lively audience of 300 people for her mesmerizing performance of original works composed by Mr. Jahangiry on May 18. She, too, was accompanied Mr. Jahangiry, Ms. Gharassou, Mr. Bahrami Fard and Mr. Karami.
On March 24, on the occasion of International Women’s Day and Noruz, the Louvre organized a full day of guided tours dedicated to Persian and Islamic art. This program was part of the Museum’s outreach efforts and was attended by almost 200 participants who enjoyed learning about the artwork presented in the Department of Islamic Art and the Department of Near Eastern Antiquities. The Elahé Omidyar Mir-Djalali Fund, established at the Louvre Museum in 2011, made possible these tours as well as the concert series.
In addition, the first Elahé Omidyar Mir-Djalali Fellow, Tytus Mikolajczak, began his fellowship work this spring at the Oriental Institute Museum (OIM) of the University of Chicago in collaboration with the Louvre. Mr. Mikolajczak’s efforts through spring 2015 will focus on documenting approximately 350 objects selected by one of the Project Directors, Professor Pierre Briant (Collège de France), from more than 2,500 pieces in the OIM’s Achaemenid collection. As a result of the fellowship, detailed and illustrated records on hundreds of stone vessels, glazed brick fragments, coins, cylinders and architectural elements all originating from the Achaemenid Empire will be made available on the website of the Achemenet research program.
Top left to right: Maryam Gharassou, Pasha Karami, Pantea Alvandipour, Siamak Jahangiry and Ali Bahrami Fard; bottom (© Artéphoto.com – Stéphane Olivier – Musée du Louvre): tours in the Persian art galleries.