PANDAwomen #5: Iran

Curated by ethnomusicologist and filmmaker Dr. des. Yalda Yazdani, this evening explores the richness and multiplicity of Iranian music today — from classical roots to diasporic experiment. With musicians from Iran, Germany, the Netherlands, and the UK, the program opens space for tradition, technology, improvisation, and personal expression.

Workshop: Ableton & Iranian Musicwith Cee, Parisa Saeednezhad, and Yalda YazdaniA live demonstration and interactive introduction to the intersections of traditional Iranian music and digital production. Participants explore how electronic tools can accompany or transform classical forms.

Sanam Maroufkhani (Live Set – Jazz/Indie)Vocalist and multi-instrumentalist based in the Netherlands. Her set blends Persian musical modes with jazz harmony, storytelling, and improvisation — exploring themes of migration, identity, and inner space.Panel DiscussionA moderated conversation with participating artists on music, diaspora, and creative resistance.

Traditional Iranian Ensemble Performance with Parisa Saeednezhad, Roshanak Rafani, Sahar Zibaei, Pouyan Biglar A set of traditional Iranian music performed by master musicians of tar, santur, percussion and setar. Rooted in radif and modal structures, the ensemble creates a meditative and dynamic acoustic soundscape.

Mahtab Sabetara & Baharan Eghbalzadeh (Electronic Live Set + Visuals)A contemplative set bridging ambient electronics and poetic visuals. Sounds move between minimal techno, Iranian tonalities, and spatial abstraction.

Behrooz Moosavi & Janna Maria (Tehran Contemporary Sounds)Closing the evening: an immersive audiovisual performance combining analog synthesis and live generative visuals. A collaboration shaped by distance, memory, and modular systems.

Dr. Yalda Yazdani is an Iranian ethnomusicologist, filmmaker, and curator based in Berlin. Her PhD research focuses on female voices in West Asia and North Africa, and her curatorial projects include Female Voice of Iran, Qashqai Female Voices, and Female Voices United. Through research, performance, and dialogue, she creates spaces for unheard stories in music.

Artists

Sanam MaroufkhaniOriginally from Tehran and now based in the Netherlands, Sanam is a vocalist, pianist, and guitarist whose work weaves together classical Iranian music and jazz. Beyond performance, she is also involved in community-based music education and intercultural projects.

Parisa SaeednezhadA performer of tar and setar, Parisa explores the depth of traditional Iranian music while engaging in dialogue with contemporary and electronic forms. She lives in Germany and frequently collaborates with artists across disciplines.

Roshanak RafaniTrained in Persian percussion, Roshanak works with instruments like the daf and tombak to explore rhythm as a narrative form. Her performances often move between traditional structures and more experimental improvisation.

Sahar ZibaeiBased in London, Sahar is a santur player with a deep connection to Persian classical repertoire. Her artistic focus lies in the subtle emotional dynamics of microtonal sound and its role in diasporic expression.

Pouyan BiglarA tar soloist and composer whose work balances preservation and experimentation. Pouyan draws on classical traditions while also creating new compositions rooted in modal heritage.

Mahtab SabetaraAn electronic musician from Tehran whose sound is shaped by ambient textures, minimal rhythms, and Persian tonalities. Her practice extends into installation and live audiovisual environments.

Baharan EghbalzadehWorking at the intersection of film and digital art, Baharan’s visual language blends abstraction with symbolic and poetic references drawn from Iranian culture and mythology.

Behrooz MoosaviA composer and performer using analog synths to explore layered rhythms, tonal ambiguity, and modular repetition. His live sets are immersive and structured like sonic meditations.

Janna MariaA media artist whose generative visuals respond to sound and environment in real time. Her work is grounded in research and often emerges through collaboration with musicians and performers.

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