Maestro Shahrdad Rohani

I just spent the last hour and seventeen minutes watching Maestro Shahrdad Rohani's beautiful concert which features famous singers such as Emel Sayin, Moein, Martik, and experts from Hayedeh. Mr. Rohani is one of the most famous conductors and composers in the world. He has won numerous awards, including Thailand's Piaknes award for outstanding orchestral performane in 1999, which is arguably one of the world's most famous artistic acheivements. 

He was born in Tehran 1954, and left to study music in Vienna in 1975. In the early 80's he accepted a scholarship to UCLA and became a citizen of the US in 1994. 

Rohani claims the opportunities he had in America were endless and enabled a great deal of professional growth in him, he believes that staying in Iran would have afforded him the same opportunities had the Revolution not occurred. 

The US government's website, iipdigital, claims that Of course, Rohani does appreciate the advantages of living in a democratic society and the freedom of expression that is available, particularly for those in his artistic field. He also points out the benefits of encouraging economic pursuits and rewarding those pursuits accordingly that are so much evident in America.

Rohani however says “I am an artist and my perceptions and goals are, to a great extent, untouched by the environment I am in. The greatest artists in history have achieved the heights of artistic expression under the most difficult of circumstances. On the other hand, given the lack of restrictions in a democracy, there is infinite room for the manifestation of one’s ideas. America, being the land of opportunity, [has] certainly helped, but the land of opportunity requires one to bring talent and hard work to the table. It is not a land of free lunches!”

Iran is a land of amazing artists and musicians. But yet many of them leave Iran for many reasons one being what Rohani claims; "the lack of restrictions". Famous rap artist, Shahin Najafi said "A singer who wants to take the stage in Iran has to stand there like a piece of dead wood and is not permitted to move to the music". He illegally organized a concert in 2004 in Iran in which the militia bombarded. He was faced with criminal charges but left for Turkey before his sentence began. He now lives in Germany. Najafi's case is one similar to the struggles that many "illegal" musicians in Iran face.