TEHRAN -- The Tehran Symphony Orchestra has joined forces with the National Orchestra to form a new organization entitled the Iran National Symphony Orchestra, conductor and general music director of the orchestra Ali Rahbari announced on Saturday.

“We did not intend to downsize either orchestra, but we do want to improve them,” Rahbari said in press conference.

The decision to combine the orchestras was made since many of the musicians play in both orchestras, Rahbari said.

In early March 2015, Iranian cultural officials assigned Rahbari, a Vienna-based Iranian maestro, the task of restoring the Tehran Symphony Orchestra, a mission that he once left unfinished in 2005.

He sees the merger in line with his mission to restore the orchestra.

In April 2014, the Music Office of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance announced that maestro Farhad Fakhreddini was hired to conduct Iran’s National Orchestra, which he had established in 1998.

Fakhreddini led the orchestra in many amazing concerts. However, he quit the orchestra in July 2009 due inept interventions by the Music Office. Consequently, the orchestra languished.

Rahbari said that he has held talks with a number of top Iranian musicians, including Fakhreddini and Fereidun Shahbazi, to use their experience for the purpose of developing the Iran National Symphony Orchestra.

Fakhreddini has said that he was opposed to the plan to combine the orchestras.

“Due to promises by officials, I agreed to resume working with the National Orchestra, but now they have broken their promises and I refuse to collaborate with them,” Fakhreddini told the Persian service of MNA on Monday.

He described the National Orchestra as “a history-making headliner for the country”, which doesn’t deserve to be ignored.

“Although I am opposed to this plan, I do hope it will produce a positive outcome for the music of the country,” he added.

MMS/YAW
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