TEHRAN -- Iranian musician Keikhosro Purnazeri, the leader of the Shams Ensemble, received a Certificate of Honor from the San Francisco Board of Supervisors for thirty years of efforts in promoting Persian culture in the world.

The certificate was given to the Shams Ensemble in March 2011 for its thirty years of activity and efforts in introducing the Persian Noruz celebration in the United States, Purnazeri said in a press release published on Sunday.
The ensemble, known for the beautiful group performance of tanbur (an Iranian string instrument), gave several performances in the United States where they began their U.S. tour mid-March and toured several cities including Los Angeles, Washington, New York, and Chicago.
The Board of Supervisors of the City and County of San Francisco appreciates the great endeavors of the ensemble in using different musical instruments and distinct styles in music compositions, reads part of the text on the certificate.
Composers Tahmures and Sohrab Purnazeri, singer Alireza Qorbani, and musicians Hamidreza Naqavi, Neda Khaki, Hossein Zahavi, Sahar Afshar, and Shahab Paranj collaborate with the Shams Ensemble.
Photo: Shams Ensemble leader Keikhosro Purnazeri performs during an open-air concert at the Sadabad Cultural Historical Complex in Tehran on August 13, 2008. (Mehr/Sajjad Safari)