Tehran Symphony Orchestra

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Tehran Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1937, is one of Iran's main Symphony Orchestra.

The Orchestra was conducted by Parviz Mahmoud and has its roots in Baladieh (Municipality) Symphony Orchestra conducted by Gholam-Hossein Minbashian. During the years that followed, conductors such as Rubik (Ruben) Gregorian, Morteza Hannaneh, Heimo Tauber, Heshmat Sanjari, and Farhad Meshkat took over as the conductors of the Orchestra. ^[1]

Parwiz Mahmoud for the first time set up an orchestra calling it Symphony Orchestra of Tehran. This one was the foundation of the Symphony Orchestra in Tehran of today. One of Mahmoud's employees, Rubik Gregorian, helped Mahmoud to develop the orchestra. Gregorian was the fist person who founded an orchestra-choir. After Mahmoud's immigration in the USA in 1949, Gregorian became his successor. From 1951 until 1957 the conductors of the orchestra changed very often and quickly. Some of those conductors were Ruben Safarian, Serge Chodsief, Heshmat Sandjari, who worked only for one year and Morteza Hannaneh, who worked two years. Later, Sandjari and Hannaneh went abroad for their further musical education. The first person that conducted the Symphony Orchestra of Tehran longer than two years was the Austrian Heimo Teuber. He conducted the orchestra from 1957 until 1960. In 1960 Heshmat Sandjari returned to Iran and became the permanent conductor of the Symphony Orchestra of Tehran, until 1972. Due to previous experience he knew the orchestra very well and worked there also as a violinist. Sandjari had the chance to learn a lot from the former conductor Parviz Mahmoud. Sandjari tried to use many Iranian songs for his orchestra in order to play them later in concerts. In 1967 a great music hall called "Roudaki" was built which was also available for Opera. This institution cooperated with the Symphony Orchestra of Tehran. The music hall offered many technical possibilities and all together 1600 seats for the audience. Because of the audience, the songs were improved and more and more people came to the music hall. In the twelve years period in which Sandjari worked for the orchestra, also foreign conductors and musicians were engaged being in service of the institutions. Some of them were; Yehudi Menuhin, Isaak Stern, U. Lutoslawski, Lilit Kraus, Andor FoldesZubin Mehta and Raffi Petrossian. Beside these foreign musicians there where also Iranian soloists and conductors who lived abroad and traveled to Iran in order to play and work for the Symphony Orchestra. These Iranian musicians were: Novin Afrouz, Tanja Aschot, George Martirussian, Frahad Sandjari (son of Heshmat Sandjari), Loris Tcheknavorian and Alexander Rahbari. Heshmat Sandjari was invited to conduct abroad when a very young Iranian conductor called Farhad Meshkat became his successor. At the same time Loris Tcheknavorian (young composer and conductor) returned to Iran in order to work as conductor of the new Tehran Opera Orchestra, consisting of musicians from the Symphony Orchestra and musicians from Eastern Europe. All of them cooperated with the "Roudaki Hall Opera House". Until 1979, the year when the Iranian revolution broke out, Farhad Meshkat directed the Symphony Orchestra. Every month new concerts took place in the Roudaki Hall. But on account of the revolution, the orchestra and other cultural institutions had to be given up. In the year after the revolution there have been attempts to build up the Symphony Orchestra of Tehran with the remaining musicians. Bijan Setajesch (player of the horn instrument), Nader Mortezapour (player of the double -bass) and Heshmat Sandjari could keep on directing the orchestra under restricted conditions. After Sandjari's death Fereidun Nasseri (player of the drums) became his successor.

After the revolution the permanent conductor of orchestra was mostly Freydoun Naseri. After his resignation in 2004 Manoucher sahbai directed the orchestra for one year.

In 2005, Maestro Rahbari was invited to Iran as the Permanent Conductor of Tehran Symphony Orchestra. His return and performance of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, after thirty years in the country, become the biggest music event of the past three decades. The arrangement which did not last more than few months. Rahbari resigned publicly due to the disrespect of l

In 2005, Maestro Rahbari was invited to Iran as the Permanent Conductor of Tehran Symphony Orchestra. His return and performance of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, after thirty years in the country, become the biggest music event of the past three decades.Rahabri resigned publicly due disrespect if local musicians and low salary of orchestra and until then he will not direct the orchestra.

The current conductor of Orchestra is Nader Mashyekhi who educated in Austaria.

The conductors who are performing with the orchestra regularly are:

Nader Mashyekhi. Manouchehr Sahbai. Houshang Lotfi. Loris Tcheknavarian. Shahrdad rohani.