FIMF to benefit Iranian music by focusing on competitiveness: Official
The secretary of the 40th Fajr International Music Festival said that the festival will benefit the entirety of music in Iran for years to come, provided that it continues to move towards becoming increasingly competitive in various musical genres and interdisciplinary fields related to music.
“I firmly believe that the Fajr International Music Festival, with its two essential facets of ‘celebration’ and ‘competition,’ can serve the entirety of music in Iran for many years in both serious aspects,” Reza Mahdavi expressed.
He added that the goal will only materialize if the festival persists in enhancing its competitiveness across musical genres and interdisciplinary fields related to music. This will allow for greater participation of young generations in this grand music festival, which is unique on a global scale, thanks to the richness inherent in Iranian music that gets stronger each year, IRNA reported.
The 40th Fajr International Music Festival aims to introduce and honor the outstanding works of Iranian musicians, elevate the art of music, and enhance the taste and listening culture of audiences. It also seeks to safeguard the national identity rooted in Iranian and ritual teachings, strengthen and support creative arts—especially ideas and performances from the younger generation—and identify and solidify the qualitative form and content for various musical genres. The festival will take place from February 12 to February 18 this year, featuring both competitive sections (the Barbad Award) and non-competitive ones centered on national unity.
The call for entries in the competitive section of this festival was announced on October 19, 2024, covering auditory albums with and without lyrics (including traditional, regional, and ethnic music, Western classical, fusion, children’s music, Iranian orchestral, and film music), research (music books, theses, and dissertations), performance awards (Western classical music, national music—Dastgah system--[the standard musical system in Persian art music], composition awards (focused on national unity), music and lyrics, singles, and film music.
In the auditory album section, 33 works were submitted, while 14 works were sent in for research (music books), 10 for theses and dissertations, 39 for composition awards (focused on national unity), 10 for music and lyrics, 39 for music and media, 42 for singles, and 2 for film music.
In the competitive section for stage performances (the Barbad Award), 37 music groups participated in the categories of Western classical music and Iranian classical music. In total, 226 works and music groups entered the competitive section and stage performances for the Barbad Award, with winners in each category being announced during the closing ceremony of the 40th Fajr International Music Festival.
Since the 31st edition of the festival, the Barbad Award has been presented to the winners. This award was omitted during the 34th and 35th editions of the Fajr Music Festival but was reintroduced in the 36th edition in 2020. Previously, a total of 16 Barbad awards were given in seven categories, which has now expanded to 21.
“Barbad” was the most renowned musician, poet, lute player (on the barbat), and singer of the Sassanid era. He created melodies for each day of the week, known as the “Turuq al-Malookiya.” Barbad’s legacy continues to live on in the names of the sections of contemporary Iranian musical modes. For the first time, he created the musical mode known as the “Khosrowani Anthem” and dedicated it to King Khosrow Parviz of the Sassanid dynasty. Most melodies and songs in music are attributed to Barbad.