TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABOUT US:
The Euro-Persian Art Organization is a non-profit, non-religious, non-political organization with a primary focus on music.
We create a cultural connection between western culture and pre-Islamic Persian cultural heritage by organizing diverse art activities and educational programs focused on intercultural communication and intercultural awareness. We build a cultural bridge between the past and the present, a musical and cultural dialogue between the West and ancient Persia. We combine well-known existing western classical music with authentic traditional Persian music, alongside new compositions and new arrangements in one concert within the genre of classical music. Within this organization, we have gathered two separate groups which contain high-quality international musicians together, under the titles Euro-Persian Art Ensemble and Euro-Persian Pop Band.
The instrumental setting of the Euro-Persian Art Ensemble includes traditional Persian instruments in addition to modern Western classical instruments, and the human voice. This gives an extra charm and color, a new experience within the realm of classical music. Euro-Persian Art Ensemble is NOT a world music ensemble, neither is it a fusion or a traditional Persian ensemble, rather we aim to provide a unique contribution to the classical world. Next to the Euro-Persian Art Ensemble, the Euro-Persian Pop Band performs popular music.
We encourage our composers/artists in residence to write music that showcases the best that western and Persian traditions have to offer. This combination of western classical music and contemporary classical music alongside traditional Persian musical elements will open many new possibilities and experiences. These include new instrumentations, new colors, new harmony, new counterpoint, and a new sound!
Contemporary music creations with the past as a source of inspiration stand alongside innovation, Education, workshops, literature, history, poetry, conferences, and musical performances. We believe in bringing these elements together to forge cultural links and promote our shared values and our shared humanity rather than our differences.
Concretely, we will organize concerts, music lessons for children and adults, masterclasses, workshops, art/history lectures, children/adult choirs, and music seminars. We also provide professional music services.
By employing art as a platform for cooperation, dialogue, and education, we aim to deepen our mutual understanding and respect.
We believe that this collaboration will have great value in society, and we are very motivated to bring our art to the public.
To know more about the Euro-Persian Art Organization philosophy, please read our Values, Mission and Vision.
We collaborate with many diverse high-quality international musicians, singers, composers, arrangers, orchestrators, music transcribers, MIDI mockup studios, music editors, music engravers, music publishers, audio & sound engineers, studios, venues, concert halls, orchestras, choirs, cameramen and post-production teams. This chain of collaboration through partnerships with so many diverse professional artists, institutions, companies, and organizations who are working at an international level allows us to offer/deliver from A to Z high-quality professional music services in many diverse music styles and musical genres.
EDUCATION
EURO-PERSIAN ENSEMBLES
professional music services
OUR STORY:
Founder and artistic director Houman Khalaj had the unique idea of founding a purposeful cultural institution to create a cultural liaison between western and pre-Islamic Persian cultural heritage with a primary focus on music.
He wanted to build a bridge between the past and the present: contemporary creations with the past as a source of inspiration stand alongside innovation, education, and music performance. In addition, he wanted to give a unique and fresh interpretation to the concept of modern western classical music, contemporary art music, and to create a space for the possibility to combine western and Persian music elements and instruments together with literature, poetry, education, arts, history, and professional music services.
He had the idea to create a multiculturally diverse platform, where the origins of people and their cultures become a source of inspiration. Both adults and children can benefit from this on an international scale and become more familiar/acquainted with both cultures.
He surrounded himself with a passionate group of high-quality international musicians, composers, music professors, music educators, arrangers, conductors, legal advisors, art historians, historians, researchers, artistic and business advisors, finance managers, volunteers, and together they decided to forge a new path to implement and present continuously differing projects of a high artistic level.
VALUES:
-We realize and consider the greatness of the potential link between pre-Islamic Persian cultural heritage and the west via art.
Pre-Islamic Persia has shared many common values and interests with western civilization for many centuries. Its outstanding contributions to the development of art and science (architecture, astronomy, fine arts, mathematics, etc.) have become a constitutive part of western culture, thus internationally enhancing human progress and expression. This common heritage carries us together into the present. According to many researchers, pre-Islamic Persia forms the roots of modern western civilization.
-We recognize and respect the human rights convention and The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Declaration was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on the 10th ogf December 1948.
-We honor both western and pre-Islamic Persian cultural heritage as a similar cultural identity.
-We value education and consider youth as the pillar of society.
-We respect the importance of each individual and equality between individuals.
-We respect cultural diversity and those who support innovative and creative thinking.
-We recognize and honor non-discrimination and non-extremist ideas.
-We value the function of art in society.
MISSION:
-We create a cultural and art liaison between western and the ancient civilization of pre-Islamic Persian cultural heritage. Its considerable contributions to culture in the world, with a marked degree of continuity on both an intellectual level and historical elements, are the center of our attention with a parallel aim of the modernist and postmodern movements in art.
-By employing arts as a platform for cooperation, dialogue, and education, we aim to have deepened mutual understanding and respect.
-We create and organize diverse art activities and educational programs, such as intercultural communication and intercultural awareness with a primary focus on music.
-To execute our mission, we develop initiatives that provide support for partnerships and collaboration with other nonprofit organizations and institutions, such as schools, universities, ensembles, concert halls, orchestras, music academies, and private sector donors that share our mission and goals in support of culture and art. With this in mind, we like to encourage intercultural communication with host countries.
-Our aim is to bring together artists and people who are interested in sharing arts and culture from around the world, so we help artists to perform and exhibit their work. Through our NGO, we bring people from various cultures together and strive to encourage a better understanding of each other and co-exist in harmony. For that purpose, we offer performances, shows, exhibits, workshops and ancillary discussions and symposiums, music lectures, art, and cultural education, meetings, etc.
-We bring various groups into contact with each other in order to widen views to increase tolerance on every level, and to make different ideas, tastes and experiences interact harmoniously.
-Through partnerships with the community and with kids, collaboration and co-production with other organizations within Belgium, Europe, and the USA, and by organizing international masterclasses for young composers and musicians, the Euro-Persian Art Organization fulfills its obligation to bring diverse groups into contact with each other.
-After the Islamic revolution in the late ’70s in Iran, the female solo voice was forbidden in performance. In the Euro-Persian Art Ensemble, we would like to give Persian women the opportunity to perform again and revive the beauties of this suppressed artform.
-It’s aimed to make western people more acquainted with pre-Islamic Persian cultural heritage and also make the Persian community diaspora more familiar with western art & culture. In addition, it intends to embrace multicultural diversity concerning the origins and nationalities of individuals with the goal to allow them to understand Euro-Persian cultures.
-As a result, the Euro-Persian Art Organization also has a social mission. Women’s Rights, Diversity, Education, Heritage, innovation and cultural exchange.
VISION:
-We believe that music and art, in general, have the power to bring people from different countries and social backgrounds closer together.
-Art can serve as a great cultural link. In our opinion, a major component of a healthy, modern, and dynamic society is art exchange, for instance between the west and pre-Islamic Persian cultural heritage. We believe this exchange must be executed and performed with the highest level of professionalism and efficiency.
-As history has taught us, a very fundamental aspect of western culture and its traditions stems from Mithraism. The worship of Mithras dates back approximately 4000 years ago in Persia. In addition, Zoroastrian philosophy was stablished by Zarathustra 3700 years ago in the Persian empires, which is now modern Iran. As an example, we can mention the origin of Christmas, the Christmas tree, Mithraism, Santa Claus, etc.
-Mithraism and Zoroastrianism has influenced significantly the Christian way of thinking as have many other religions.
Other European movements since the beginning of the Renaissance are also inspired by the Mithraism and Zoroastrian religion such as enlightenment, humanism, equality of gender, and human rights. As founders of this organization, we want to focus on these very important values.
-It is correct to say that the bridge between east and west was already established since the beginning of civilization:
“common traditions like singing in choral like unison (responsorial) or (antiphonal) were practiced in religious temples and palaces of the kings, with or without the accompaniment of the ancient Harp (Lyre), around 4000 B.C. in Mesopotamia and ancient Sumerians cultures. Later on, this civilization had a big influence on Greek and Jewish culture”.
-We strive to let political, cultural, and social barriers fade away by making art together.
EXTRA INFORMATION:
-We confirm that all activities organized by the Euro-Persian organization comply with legal European and American standards.
-We also affirm that we distance ourselves from politics within our organization and also distance ourselves from any political activity.
-However, art has a function in society as long as it fits within our values, mission, and vision. We may enjoy liberty and freedom of expression with the support of the European and Belgian legal frameworks.
MEET ARTISTIC DIRECTOR:
Houman Khalaj is Euro-Persian Art Organization’ founder and artistic director.
Houman Khalaj is a Belgian-Persian Composer based in Brussels.
He is classically trained in piano, he holds degrees in music theory, music writing and music composition, He studied at the Royal Conservator of Antwerpen, and the Royal Conservatory of Brussels. Alongside being artistic director and manager of Euro-Persian Art Organization, He works as a freelance composer, a music researcher, and a music teacher in Brussels.
The author of numerous compositions, his chamber music compositions have been performed by diverse ensembles internationally.
He writes music for a variety of instrumentations including orchestra, chamber ensemble and vocal ensemble. His compositions are diverse in musical style. He uses poly-stylistic compositional techniques to express his inspiration sources.
Alongside the history and culture, he is inspired by nature and the function of art in society.
MEET ARTISTS IN RESIDENCE/COMPOSERS:
Concertmaster:
The Euro-Persian Art Ensemble consists of several international musicians of the highest quality. A primary example is our concertmaster Sarah Oates who is the associate concertmaster of the Philharmonic Orchestra in London. She is a sought-after guest concertmaster with other world-class orchestras.
Other musicians:
Other musicians of our ensemble perform as soloists and principal musicians in well-known high-quality orchestras around the world.
Christian Impazient, Antonio Capolupo, Gordon Fantini, Anna Buevich, Marina Barskaya, Suzanne Vermeyen, José Vilaplana Herruzo, etc,
Solo Singers:
Our soprano singer Nazanin Ezazi and our mezzo-soprano Ariana Vafadari sing in Persian and multiple European languages. Both of them have international careers as solo opera singers.
Artists in residence/Composers & Arrangers:
Our team consists of top-notch well-known international composers such as:
Wim Hendrikx
Alain Craens
Houman Khalaj
Mathias Coppens
Richard Danielpour
You may find extensive biographies about the quality of the musicians, singers, and composers of the Euro-Persian Art Organization, on the ARTISTS’ page on our website.
Board of Directors:
Houman Khalaj - Artistic Director | General Director
Sarah Oates - Concertmaster & Artistic advisor
Dr. Mahmood Kavir - Specialist in Persian history, Persian art history & Historian advisor
MANAGEMENT TEAM:
Members:
Suzanne Vermeyen - Librarian | Production
Anna Buevich - Pop band Management & Advisor
William Uyttendaele - Historian | Researcher | Editor | Administrative Management
Mattew Ray - Head Editor | Business & Corporation Management
Management:
Houman Khalaj
Music Marketing & Business advisor:
Press & Communication:
Mattew Ray - Head Editor | Business & Corporation Management
Volunteers:
OUR PARTNERS:
RECOMMENDATION:
PRESS:
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