TEHRAN – The Tehran Symphony Orchestra will observe the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war by performing a piece composed by Loris Tjeknavorian for the event that is called the Sacred Defense in Iran.

Speaking during a press conference in Tehran on Saturday, Tjeknavorian said that he will conduct the orchestra during three concerts, which will be held at Tehran’s Vahdat Hall from November 27 to 29. 

The piece and Tjeknavorian’s other composition “Peace and Friendship” will be performed during the concerts.

“I have had the honor to conduct the Tehran Symphony Orchestra, which is scheduled to perform my compositions ‘Sacred Defense’ and ‘Peace and Friendship’,” he said.

“The orchestra has held rehearsals constantly and I hope we will give our best performances during the concerts,” he added.

“When the Iran-Iraq war began, I was forty and I was quite impressed and wanted to write an appropriate composition. However, it took 15 years to be accomplished,” he remarked.

“I must say that a number of Iranian youth lost their lives for their homeland, and I made great efforts to compose and complete this composition last year and I hope it will be warmly received by the audience,” he noted.

On his work “Peace and Friendship”, the maestro said that the composition is composed of 10 movements and was commissioned by the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development.

The 82-year old maestro further noted that he would like his works to be paid more attention, and that he prefers to conduct his own compositions if he is going to conduct an orchestra.

“I have composed about 90 works, which have not been performed yet, and I want to perform them someday,” he remarked.

The maestro donated his entire collection of scores to the Music Museum of Iran two years ago.

Photo: Loris Tjeknavorian conducts an unidentified orchestra in an undated photo. (YJC/Mitra Samavaki)

RM/MMS/YAW