About

Join us for an enchanting afternoon of Iranian classical music and storytelling, featuring Nava Ensemble and stories told by Janice Jackson. This special concert will take you on a journey through the musical and oral traditions of Iran, blending instrumental performances with captivating folklore. Led by Mohammad Sahraei (tar and dotar), the concert also feature Janice Jackson (storytelling), Saeid Foroughi (santoor), Pooya Shekarriz (tombak), Vahid Adibnia (setar), Nikoo Mansourifar (daff).

The first part of the concert introduces listeners to the full beauty of Persian classical music performed on traditional instruments. Rooted in centuries-old traditions, this section will explore the intricate melodies, modal structures (dastgāh), and expressive improvisations that define Iran’s musical heritage. The second part of the concert we will explore Persian folklore with the first chapter of “Yarmamad and Leyla”, a mesmerizing tale of love, destiny, and tradition. Through a fusion of narration and music, Nava Ensemble will bring this timeless story to life, evoking the essence of Iran’s oral storytelling tradition. All ages are invited for the concert, followed by a sweet treat!

About the Artists

Mohammad Sahraei

Mohammad Sahraei is a musician and ethnomusicologist originally from Iran, where he graduated with a Bachelors in Music and Masters in Ethnomusicology, as well as an accounting degree and an MBA. In his quest to understand the music of other cultures, he has done fieldwork with masters from many countries throughout the middle east and has published several essays on the subject. Mohammad has participated in many musical and cultural events in Halifax such as OBEY Festival, Halifax Jazz Festival, and Halifax Multicultural Festival. He has additionally produced a series of International Music Concerts in Halifax since 2017. Mohammad has live film score and performance on his resume, and also produced and published an original recording entitled the Nahavand Album. Mohammad is the founder and director of the World Music Museum Society in Halifax.

About Janice Jackson

Janice Isabel Jackson has sung over 240 world premieres and performed contemporary music around the world - Beijing, Paris, Brussels, Hong Kong, Vienna, Amsterdam, Hamburg, Torino, Toronto, Montreal, New York, Berlin, Johannesburg, Cape Town and more. She has appeared in countless contemporary music festivals including the November Festival (Ghent), Wien Modern (Vienna), Ludwigs Lust (Hamburg), The Proms (Amsterdam), IRCAM (Paris), Big Torino 2000 (Turin), and the Diem Festival of Electro-acoustic music (Denmark). She is the Artistic Director of Vocalypse Productions, a Halifax based presenter of contemporary voice projects. In 2021 she premiered composer James Rolfe’s O Greenest Branch, for soprano, chorus, congas, and organ and co-directed Saint Hildegard von Bingen’s Ordo Virtutum. In 2022 she premiered the role of Mona Parsons, the only Canadian woman to have been detained in a Nazi POW camp, in the Vocalypse presentation of Escape to Freedom by Halifax composer Sandy Moore. Jackson has been composing for solo voice for several years. In 2020 she composed and performed a cycle of 13 solo songs entitled Oh Death based on poetry by visual artist Annie Martin, which she will perform in the Women Composer Festival at Harford (USA) in March 2023. She recently performed her first mini opera, Penelope: Dreamwalker, in the OPEN Waters Festival in Halifax, NS. Jackson has been honored with the Friends of Canadian Music Award through the CLC and CMC. She has also received an Established Artist Award from the Creative Nova Scotia Leadership Council and an award from the Lieutenant-Governor of Nova Scotia for her contribution to Nova Scotian culture.

For more please visit: https://minimusicmuseum.com/about-us/