UCLA Hosts "Indo-Persian Musical Confluence" Series
Worldwide Audience Gathers for the Gathering of Musical Fusion from India and Persia
The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music's Department of Ethnomusicology recently hosted an eight-part series titled "The Indo-Persian Musical Confluence". This scholarly and artistic initiative, held from November 2020 to May 2021, aimed to explore the rich historical and cultural interactions between Indian and Persian musical traditions.
Background
The series delved into the longstanding exchange and synthesis between Indian and Persian music cultures, which have influenced each other over centuries through trade, conquest, migration, and cultural diplomacy. Indo-Persian music represents a unique fusion where Persian classical elements—like certain melodic modes (dastgahs) and poetic forms—intersect with Indian classical music traditions, encompassing both rhythmic and melodic blending.
At UCLA, the Department of Ethnomusicology is interested in deepening understanding and appreciation of these musical connections by showcasing performances, lectures, workshops, and discussions that highlight this cross-cultural dialogue.
Key Events
The series featured a diverse range of events designed to preserve and invigorate the Indo-Persian musical legacy.
Performances by Prominent Musicians: The series showcased live performances by renowned artists who specialize in Persian classical music, Indian classical music, and hybrid forms that reflect Indo-Persian influences. Notable performances included Ustad Naseeruddin Saami from Pakistan, Homayun Sakhi from Afghanistan, and the Saznawaz Family from Kashmir.
Lectures and Panel Discussions: Experts in ethnomusicology, music history, and cultural studies presented research on the historical interactions, shared instruments, modal systems, and poetic traditions connecting the two regions. Panelists included Max G. Katz, Allyn Miner, Dard Neuman, Richard Widdess, William Rees Hofmann, Katherine Butler Schofield, Richard Davis Williams, Ayesha Sheth, John Baily, Lorraine Sakata, Mark Slobin, Yousuf Saeed, Françoise 'Nalini' Delvoye, Assadullah Shour, Pegah Shahbaz, Suresh Chandvankar, Anoushka Deb, Syed Yaser Ali, Pushpita Mitra, Wajiha Naqvi, Dhruv Sangari, Shahwar Kibria Maqhfi, Taees Gheirati, Deepak Paramashivan, Behzad Namazi, Mejgan Massoumi, Ariane Zevaco, Jean During, Brian Bond, and George Mürer.
Workshops and Masterclasses: Sessions were organized for students and the public to engage hands-on with the musical techniques and theoretical frameworks underpinning Indo-Persian music.
Collaborative Projects: The series fostered collaboration among musicians and scholars to create new compositions, recordings, or research outputs that celebrate and expand upon the Indo-Persian musical heritage.
This multi-dimensional approach aimed not only to preserve these musical traditions but also to invigorate them with contemporary interpretations and academic discourse.
Collaboration and Sponsorship
Professor Anna Morcom of Ethnomusicology and the Mohindar Brar Sambhi Chair in Indian Music at The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music led the series. Postdoctoral Scholar Mohsen Mohammadi, whose work includes Persian sources on Indo-Persian music, collaborated with Morcom in curating the series.
The Indo-Persian Musical Confluence was hosted and sponsored by the Center for Musical Humanities, and co-sponsored by several partners, including the Mohindar Brar Sambhhi Chair in Indian Music, the Jahangir and Eleanor Amuzegar Chair in Contemporary Iranian Studies, the Program of Iranian Studies, the Center for Near Eastern Studies, the Center for India and South Asia, and the UCLA Department of Ethnomusicology.
The series attracted participants from various global locations, including Europe, Central Asia, the Indian subcontinent, Canada, and numerous regions within the United States. The symposia offered grand performances, captivating workshops, and enthralling presentations by scholars and artists whose work relates to Indo-Persian musical cultures.
If you are interested in specifics about particular concert dates, featured artists, or lecture topics for a given year or session of the series, those details typically come from UCLA’s event announcements or departmental communications.
Engaging in both academic and artistic avenues, UCLA's Indo-Persian Musical Confluence series aimed to foster self- Development and education by showcasing a wide variety of events, such as lectures, workshops, and performances, that delved into Indo-Persian music's rich history and cultural exchange. This entertainment-infused series, held from November 2020 to May 2021, attracted scholars and artists from various global regions, providing an enriching platform for exploring the unique fusion of Indian and Persian musical traditions, including the melodic blending inherent in their classical music.
