Chārgān performed the piece “Āstīnash az ashk tar būd” (His Cuff Was Damp with Tears) by Kāren Keyhānī in a concert of the works of this contemporary Iranian composer in Rūdakī Hall. Kāren Keyhānī wrote this work for the Persian String Quartet in 2012. This composition, which was dedicated to Chārgān, had been performed in Rūdakī Hall for the first time in October 2012.
March 2013
For the third time in 2012, Chārgān went on stage in Manz̧ūmeh-ye Kherad theater on December 4. In this special performance, pieces like “Karāneh” (The Shore) by Sa،īd Honarmand, “Āshoftegī” (Agitation) by Ḩāmed Afshārī, “Zarbī-e Afshārī” by Ardeshīr Kāmkār, and “Arqavān” (Redbud) by Eḩsān z̄abīḩīfar (based on a poem by H. A. Sāyeh) were performed. The guest performers, Ḩassan-Mahdī E٬tebārī and Solmāz Badrī, accompanied Chārgān on vocals in performing Arqavān.
December 2012
In a new experience, Chārgān held a joint concert with a lute trio in Rūdaki Hall on October 25 and 26.
Eḩsān z̄abīḩīfar and Mortezá Mokhtārī (kamāncheh players), Shīmā Shāhmoḩammadī (alto Qeychak player), and Bītā Qāsemī (Bass Qeychak player) were the members of Chārgān in this concert. It is worth mentioning that Bītā Qāsemī replaced Ḩāmed Afshārī – one of the founders of Chārgān who emigrated to Canada last year – in this concert.
Throughout the concert, Chārgān performed six pieces from six different composers. These pieces, due to being created by different composers, were of different genres. “Nāgahān” (All of a Sudden) by Negīn Zomorrodī, “Āshoftegī” (Agitation) by Ḩāmed Afshārī, “Āstīnash az ashk tar būd” (His Cuff Was Damp with Tears) by Kāren Keyhānī, “String Quintet” by Sa،īd Honarmand, “Zarbī-e Afshārī” by Ardeshīr Kāmkār, and “Arqavān” (Redbud) by Eḩsān z̄abīḩīfar (based on a poem by H. A. Sāyeh) were the pieces performed by Chārgān in the first part of the concert.
In performing the last three pieces of this part, Sīyāvash Kāmkār (santūr player), Sīnā Khoshk Bījārī (tombak player), Ḩassan-Mahdī E،tebārī and Solmāz Badrī (singers) appeared on stage respectively to accompany Chārgān.
The second part of the concert consisted of trios accompanied by percussion. In this part, works by Moḩammad-Rezā Ebrāhīmī were presented: Şabūḩī (Morning Wine), Azal (Eternity), Kharāmān (Sashaying), Shabgīr (Dawn), Shokrāneh (thanksgiving), Naqsh (Figure), Goz̄ār (Transition), Laḩz̧eh (Instant), and Majāl (Chance). The lute players in this part were Moḩammad-Rezā Ebrāhīmī, Āzādeh Aḩmadī, and Maryam Khodābakhsh. Sīnā Khoshk Bījārī accompanied the ensemble on percussion.
October 2012
The Passing of Music assembly is held for its members once a month with the attempts of Negīn Zomorrodī by inviting composers and musicians and evaluating their works. On October 19, 2012 Chārgān was the guest of this assembly. During the session, the members of Chārgān explained about the Persian String Quartet and its formation as well as their group rehearsals, besides answering the questions of the attendees. At the beginning of the session, Chārgān performed some pieces of different genres from the works composed by several composers for the ensemble, with the aim of displaying the diverse potentials and abilities of the Persian String Quartet.
October 20, 2012
Unfortunately, Ḩāmed Afshārī, Chārgān’s Bass Qeychak player who had been with Chārgān since its formation, inevitably discontinued his cooperation with Chārgān after the ensemble’s first concert in Maestro Jalīl Shahnāz Hall, due to emigrating to Canada. Chārgān wishes this virtuoso musician and composer of fine taste great success.
The ensemble completed recording an album just as the concert came to its close. The album includes two CDs containing a collection of the pieces performed in the November 2011 concert. We hope that the album will soon be available to the public after passing the process of mixing, technical modifications, and other such preparation.
November 2011
The Chārgān concert, held in Maestro Jalīl Shahnāz Hall of Khāneh-ye Honarmandān (House of Artists) on November 5-6, was well received by the large number of music lovers who attended the event. The concert was performed in two separate parts. The first part included pieces in the bayāt Eşfahān maqām: “Bahār” (Spring, prelude) composed by Aşghar Bahārī, and arranged for Chārgān by Ḩāmed Afshārī; “Āvāz” (darāmad); “Şabā” (chār mezrāb) by Abolḩassan Sabā; “Kamāneh-hā” (bayāt rājeh); “Naghmeh” (zarbi-e kereshmeh); “Ghazhkān” (būsalīk and forūd); Monsieur (reng) by Monsieur Hāyk. These pieces were presented in the same order as they usually appear in the classical Persian repertoire. Arranging the pieces of this part was undertaken by Eḩsān z̄abīḩīfar.
The second part included individual pieces which were not necessarily related to each other. These pieces which were provided by different composers to be performed by Chārgān are as follows:
“Farāq” (Parting, by Sa،īd Honarmand), “Āshoftegī” (Agitation, by), “Pāberahneh dar Behesht” (Barefoot in Paradise, by Alī Şamadpūr), “Tajrobeh-ye Nāmovaffaq” (An Unsuccessful Experience, by Īmān Vazīrī), “Karāneh” (The Shore, by Sa،īd Honarmand), and finally, “Zarbī-e Afshāri” (by Ardeshīr Kāmkār). In performing the last piece, Ḩamīd Qanbarī accompanied Chārgān as a guest by playing the Tombak.
November 2011