Idin Samimi Mofakham | Oslo Sinfonietta

Mantiq Al-Tayr: The Conference of the Birds is a 4600-line mystical epic poem by 12th century Persian poet Farid al-Din "Attar" Nishapuri (1145-1221). In his masterpiece, Attar tells the story of birds of the world that start a journey and travel to the world's highest peak to find and talk with their ideal king, the Sīmorgh. Under the leadership of a hoopoe, a group of birds starts the journey and has to cross through seven valleys to reach the abode of Sīmorgh. Each valley is the symbol of a stage for spiritual awakening and has a metaphorical meaning:

1. Valley      of the Quest
2. Valley      of Love
3. Valley      of Knowledge
4. Valley      of Detachment
5. Valley      of Unity
6. Valley      of Wonderment
7. Valley      of Poverty and Annihilation 

Through "Mantiq Al-Tayr: The Conference of the Birds," I invite the listeners to take part in a mystical journey into the depth of the sounds. In this audiovisual interpretation of this Sufi allegory, I investigate the internal and invisible relationships of sound components and their road towards the musical metamorphosis and conscious rebirth. My artistic urge to listen and feel the complex transformation of pitch organizations within a very slow but precise reshaping of the musical events intends to recreate Attar's allegory of a journey into the depth of the soul and finding the true self – a journey for purification and cleansing of emotions, a Catharsis. – Idin Samimi Mofakham

Performed by:

Oslo Sinfonietta 

Soloist percussion Jennifer Torrence

Soloist santur Mirsaeed Hosseiny Panah 

Conductor Christian Eggen

Electronic mix and video Martyna Kosecka 

Electronic mastering and sound diffusion Cato Langnes (NOTAM)

Producer (Periferien) Josh Spear 

Coordinator (NMH) Lars H. Kurverud 

Producer (OS) Hanne Rekdal

Idin Samimi Mofakham is a research fellow in the Ph.D. program for artistic research. This is his final concert.

Tickets at Ticketmaster