Mahsa Vahdat & Marjan Vahdat

An iconic figure in the struggle of Iranian women for freedom of expression, Mahsa Vahdat is an internationally acclaimed singer living in exile in the Bay Area. With her enchanting voice deeply rooted in the heritage of her beloved country, and her innovative musical expression and wide-ranging repertoire, she has fearlessly defied the bans on music and solo women singers imposed by Iranian authorities after the 1979 Islamic revolution. A frequent collaborator with leading international artists like Kronos Quartet and Norwegian jazz pianist Tord Gustavsen, she’s developed a highly personal style of expression rooted in regional Iranian idioms and classical Persian music infused with contemporary and innovative expressions and influences. Transcending cultural and language boundaries and embracing universal human emotions, Vahdat has created a singular body of work with ravishing settings for contemporary Iranian poetry and classical Persian verse by Hafez and Rumi. She is joined for this concert by her sister, Marjan Vahdat.