TICKET PRE-SALES HAVE ENDED. TICKETS WILL BE AVAILABLE AT THE DOOR.

The Shiraz Arts Festival was a platform for cultural exchange that brought together artists from around the world to share and celebrate their diverse artistic expressions. One notable event from the festival was the “Stockhausen Panorama” in 1972, which celebrated the work of the German composer Karlheinz Stockhausen through a series of multiple concerts. Our “Shiraz Panorama” celebrates that legacy through the rich lens of Philadelphia’s vibrant performing arts community. Mina Zarfsaz & Eugene Lew will present a new work inspired by the Persian poem “The Conference of the Birds,” followed by a gallery tour with curator Vali Mahlouji. Traditional Indian classical Bharatanatyam dance will be performed by USILOQUY DANCE, and the evening will include a cultural debate with special guests. Jupiter Blue, featuring members of Sun Ra Arkestra, will captivate with guitar and vocals, leading to traditional Balinese music and dance by Gamelan Gita Santi x Modero & Company, and a striking performance of Luciano Berio’s “Sequenza III per voce” (1965) by Alize Rozsnyai. Experimental percussion by Shakoor Hakeem & Pete Angevine, Toshi Makihara’s unique fusion of percussion and dance, and traditional Korean percussion by Uriol우리얼 will round out this vibrant celebration of world arts.

This event runs from 4pm to 10pm, and the exhibition will be open this day from 2pm to 10pm.  

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Each performance will be approximately 30mins.  All start times are approximate and subject to change. Only one act will be performing at a time.

Performances will take place in the Theater and Galleries and audiences will be asked to move to different spaces through out the event.

A single general admission ticket is good for one individual for the whole day.  Audiences may arrive or depart at any time they wish.  Re-entry (with provided wristband) will be permitted.

This event is part of A UTOPIAN STAGE, an exhibition at Asian Arts Initiative from February 9 to March 30, 2024.

Pictured above: Mantra, for two Pianos, Karlheinz Stockhausen (composer), Alfons Kontarsky, Aloys Kontarsky (pianists) – Saray-e Moshir, 1972; Courtesy Stockhausen-Stiftung für Musik / Archaeology of the Final Decade Archives

7 Valleys: REWIND/REWILD Inspired by the Seven Valleys of Attar of Nishapur’s “Conference of the Birds,” a renowned Persian literary masterpiece, and the conservation concept of “Rewilding,” this collaborative performance by Mina Zarfsaz & Eugene Lew synthesizes a multi-sensory space that revolves around the semiotics of social interactions among multi-species.
USILOQUY Usiloquy Dance Designs creates traditional and contemporary cross-cultural works rooted in the technique of Indian classical dance style Bharatanatyam. Founded in 2008 by Artistic Director Shaily Dadiala, Philadelphia-based Usiloquy applies Bharatanatyam embracing new modalities of an ancient arts form. Dancers: Aney Abraham, Ankita Reddy, Asavari Scarff, Meghna Gummadi, Shaily Dadiala.
Jupiter Blue From the Sun Ra Arkestra’s engine room, Jupiter Blue’s tone scientists DM Hotep and Jupiter Girl (Tara Middleton) emerge to reveal elements and precepts of another kind of language, another tomorrow. Their collaboration is interstellar and unique, granting passage through spacious, jazz textured sonorties informed by Ra’s ever necessary mission of saving the world.
Gamelan Gita Santi x Modero & Company Gamelan Gita Santi is a community-based music ensemble and class led by Gapura, the Indonesian community non-profit. The group offers free weekly classes for the Indonesian community in South Philadelphia, catering to individuals aged 6 years and older. Tom Whitman of Swarthmore College leads the group, which also collaborates with Modero & Company, a dance company founded by Sinta Penyami Storms. Gita Santi hosts spring and fall concerts for the public and performs at the annual Indonesian Festival, The Island Country.
Alize Francheska Rozsnyai Alize Francheska Rozsnyai coloratura soprano and graduate of The Curtis Institute of Music “displaying profound imagination and control” (Philadelphia Inquirer), building a diverse and exciting performance career as a classical soprano with a “superb voice” (Harrogate News) which is “sparkling” (ArtBlog), all while serving up “deliciously diva performances” (I CARE IF YOU LISTEN). This season she appears with St. Petersburg Opera as an Emerging Artist and cover for Morgana in Handel’s Alcina, is part of the development as Five Ways to Die with Experiments in Opera NYC, and makes her role debut as Frasquita in Carmen with Boheme Opera NJ. Ms. Rozsnyai has performed with Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro, Den Nye Opera in Bergen, Norway, Opera Philadelphia, San Diego Opera, Chautauqua Opera, Seattle Symphony [Untitled 3] Series, Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, Opera Fayetteville, Center for Contemporary Opera, The Cape Cod Symphony, and favorite role credits include Adina (l’elisir d’amore), Cleopatra (Giulio Cesare), Hilda (Elegy for Young Lovers-Henze), and Ilia (Idomeneo).
Universal Rhythm Universal Rhythm is the catchall title for the always-in-flux musical expression of brothers in percussion, Shakoor Hakeem and Pete Angevine. Fearless percussionist Shakoor Hakeem, a prolific up-and-coming talent, has a gift for making experimental, Afro-diasporan, rhythmic improvisational music immediately enjoyable. Hakeem’s unique old soul has him adhering to the cultural traditions of mysticism and folklore, within which are contained the secrets of his elders. The mythical experience of his stage presence evokes feelings that you are witness to a ceremonial gathering, of an ancient rhythmic history. In building this, he has long supported many of the most forward-thinking legendary improvisers, including Graham Haynes, Immanual Wilkins, Joel Ross, Adam Rudolph, Bobby Zankel and Wallace Roney. Performing live with these great artists, he refrains from overplaying and prefers minimalism, playing with the musical and compositional contexts of colors and texture, delivering limited solos, all while occupying the eye of the hurricane.Pete Angevine works independently as a creative producer with a constellation of individuals and organizations in fields such as life sciences, farmer cooperatives, public art, and experimental music.He has helped to develop and create many creative projects including musical albums, experimental theater, Ice Cream dreams, public history themed augmented reality apps, art exhibitions, a Wide Range of Popular and Avant Garde Musics, free food for the people, murals, watershed science infused walking tours, two beloved children, interactive sound sculptures, historically interpretive artist-designed miniature golf holes, psychedelic ceremonies, gongs, and more.
Toshi Makihara Toshi Makihara’s performance utilizes traditional percussion with a variety of discovered sound media, everyday objects and toys. Through a rigorous, systematic, and practiced process of experimentation, Makihara seeks out sounds that have never been heard before, experimenting with touch, force, and speed, and always remaining aware of sound’s relationship to the body. Makihara studied drums and percussion with Sabu Toyozumi, a renowned improvising percussionist in Tokyo. He has also studied butoh with dance master Kazuo Ohno and others.
URIOL우리얼 Founded in 2018, URIOL(우리얼) is a traditional Korean percussion ensemble based in Philadelphia. URIOL began as a Samulnori group and continues to explore and create new music for traditional percussion instruments. Hyunjin Cha, artistic director of URIOL, has been a performer and director of programming & operations for Dulsori, a world-renowned Korean world music ensemble that has appeared in over 54 countries and prestigious festivals such as WOMAD, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and Roskilde Rock Festival. URIOL’s music is for anyone and everyone, based on the traditional Korean performance of ‘Pungmul’, ‘Minyo’, and ‘Chukjae’. During the performance, we play and dance to wish for our happiness and hopes to be fulfilled. As you become one with the performers, enjoying and applauding, you will feel a magical sensation.
Peter Crimmins Peter Crimmins has been reporting on arts and culture for WHYY News since 2010, reporting stories on a wide variety of cultural topics, from artist profiles to community initiatives to philanthropic funding trends. He started his career in the San Francisco Bay Area, cutting his teeth at community station KALX and producing syndicated radio programming for Ben Manilla Productions. He lives in Fishtown with his wife and dogs.

Major support for A Utopian Stage has been provided by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage with additional support from the Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia.. Presented in collaboration with Asian Arts Initiative and Fire Museum Presents