Tehran Hosts First Free Outdoor Concert

The event was marked by performances by the Orchestra of National Musical Instruments.

The orchestra conducted by Aliakbar Qorbani featured vocals by Mohammad Mo’tamedi, a renowned traditional signer.

It was the first musical performance free of charge for the public and was held at Water-and-Fire Park on August 30, 2018.

At the beginning of the concert, Narrator Mirza-Ali recited pieces about Imam Ali.

The event was organized in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, and was warmly welcomed by the people on its first night, though there were some problems such as a shortage of seats for the audience and the long time it took to tune up the instruments.

However, the concert went very well with the cooperation of the people and no security incidents came up during the performances despite earlier concerns.

The audience stood up to honour the “Oh, Iran” piece played without prior rehearsal and sang along in harmony with the orchestra.

“With such performances, we intend to show the police that such events will not be problematic for public security,” said Mo’tamedi.

The National Musical Instruments Orchestra comprises musicians playing such instruments as the Tar, Santoor, Tumbak and flute.

The idea of holding such free outdoor concerts was first raised by famous singer Homayoun Shajarian, who said such performances may help ordinary people forget about their economic problems for a few hours.