Nahoft – Ava Nazar – Sunday, March 29 at 4 pm
Nahoft
Ava Nazar, piano
Yassaman Behbahani Inspiration
Aso Kohzadi Neyrizan
Ava Nazar Nava Reverie
Nina Barzegar Two pieces for piano
Niloufar Nourbakhsh F I X E D HbeaRt for piano & electronics
Nina Barzegar Suspended Canon
Nina Barzegar Morning Dance
Iranian pianist Ava Nazar presents Nahoft, a program of music by women composers from the Iranian diaspora, featuring works by Aso Kohzadi, Niloufar Nourbakhsh, Nina Barzegar, and Yassaman Behbahani. The concert grows out of Nazar’s debut album of the same name, created in collaboration with the Iranian Female Composers Association, and includes one of her own compositions. Nahoft takes its name from a melodic motif in Iranian music. Pieces such as Neyrizan, Suspended Canon, Morning Dance, and Navā Reverie draw on Iran’s musical traditions, while others reflect Western classical and contemporary influences.
Ava Nazar is an Iranian-American pianist based in New York. She has performed at notable venues such as the United Nations, Merkin Hall, Chicago Symphony Center, Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco, and Jacobs Music Center in San Diego. Her festival appearances include the Aspen Music Festival, and the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara. Ava’s debut album Nahoft (Parma Recordings, 2025) features works by women composers from Iran, and was featured on PBS’s Feminine Fusion. Ava has toured with acclaimed vocalist Homayoun Shajarian across major U.S. venues. A passionate educator, she co-founded the Prelude Music Program in NYC and serves as assistant conductor of the Bronx County Chorus. She holds degrees from the Manhattan School of Music and the Juilliard School.