TEHRAN -- The 24th Fajr International Music Festival kicked off here on Tuesday at several different concert halls and cultural centers in Tehran and Shiraz.

The different halls of Vahdat, Rudaki, the City Theater as well as Niavaran and Honar cultural centers played host to several performances on the first day.
Some of the performances were also held at the Azadi Tower and Tehran’s National Grand Hall.
Women’s musical groups lead by conductors Sayeh Sodeifi, and Mahshad Bonakdarnia also performed at Vahdat Hall, while Rudaki Hall was host to the women’s bands of “Yavaran”, “Medina”, and “Zagros”.
At the international section, the Tarhana Band of Turkey, Romania, the Netherlands, and Iran performed their joint productions.
The main hall of Tehran’s City Theater Complex played host to various groups including “Khosravan”, “Farabi Hamedani”, “Sayeh Sar”, and “Mehr-Afaq Khorasan”.
Niavaran Cultural Center hosted performances by several bands lead by conductors Amir Sadeq Kanjani, Milad Alami, and Kiavash Amiri.
Pop singer Mohsen Yeganeh also gave a performance at Tehran’s National Grand Hall.
The Iranian Artists Forum also held the seminar “A Review of Educational Programs of Music Schools over the Past 30 Years” on the side section of the festival.
The Hafez Hall of Shiraz also is playing host to the music festival this year. The program began with a performance by the local music group of Bushehr “Lian” on the first day.
The Fajr Music Festival will continue until December 12 in Shiraz and December 16 in Tehran.
Photo: Bandari music band Lian performs during the opening ceremony of the 24th Fajr International Music Festival at the Hafez Cultural Complex in Shiraz on December 8, 2008. Bandari is a kind of folk music, which is usually performed in southern Iran, particularly in coastal cities on the Persian Gulf. (Mehr/Mohammad-Hossein Nikupur)