Int’l musicians, bands to attend FIMF

A number of international musicians and bands are set to attend the 40th Fajr International Music Festival (FIMF) in Iran.

The FIMF aims to enhance the artistic quality of the festival based on the available resources, focusing on more serious and art music, said Ahmad Sadri, the head of the Music Office at the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, during a press conference on Saturday at Vahdat Hall in Tehran.

“To do so, we have invited professionals in the field to participate in the festival,” he added.

“We are all striving to make Iranian music flourish beyond its current state and establish an international reputation for it,” Reza Mahdavi, the secretary of the festival, said during the same conference.

He also noted that “The International Fajr Music Festival is a well-recognized festival globally, and many renowned musicians and prominent figures in the music world are eager to participate in it. I hope that in the coming years, we can create competition in the international section, with foreign judges joining Iranian ones to evaluate both Iranian and international works.”

Mohammad Ali Merati, the executive director of the festival explained that for the upcoming edition of the festival, ten venues in Tehran have been specifically dedicated to music performances.

“This year, we have 1,464 musicians participating in the festival, a 40% increase in the number of artists compared to the last edition. There will be 106 bands attending the festival. Despite the challenges, we are hosting six international groups,” he said.

Merati also noted that musicians and bands from Spain, the Netherlands, Turkey, Tunisia, India, and Armenia will perform in the festival.

The poster for the 40th FIMF, featuring a depiction of a nightingale, a symbol of music in Iran, was unveiled at the end of the press conference.

Organized by the Deputy of Artistic Affairs of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, in collaboration with the Music Office of the Culture Ministry, the Iran Music Association, and the Rudaki Foundation, the 40th FIMF aims to showcase and honor the best works of Iranian musicians, promote the art of music, enhance the audience’s taste and listening culture, preserve national identity rooted in religious and Iranian teachings, support creative art—especially ideas and performances by the younger generation—and identify and strengthen the quality of form and content in various genres of music.

This year’s event will be held in two competitive and non-competitive sections on February 11-17 in Tehran, and iFilm English TV will cover it via a series of daily reports.