This magical concert tells the story of powerful Iranian women.
Daughters of Persia, a celebration of the extraordinary women of Iran, will premiere at Kings Place in London for one night only. Taking place on Sunday, 25 January at 7pm, the concert is a gala world premiere of an emotionally moving show.
Honouring one of the richest cultures in the world, Daughters of Persia is an evening of evocative music and words, created by British pianist Margaret Fingerhut and rising Iranian composer Farhad Poupe. The event will fuse stories of incredible women from Iran’s history with music by a combination of composers from Iran and beyond.
Daughters of Persia includes a powerful script by Oscar and BAFTA-nominated screenwriter William Nicholson, who has worked on Gladiator and Les Misérables. A renowned trio of musicians — Margaret Fingerhut on piano, Bradley Creswick on violin, and Guy Johnston on cello — will perform magical compositions by Farhad Poupe, Reza Vali, Aftab Darvishi, and Golnoush Khaleghi, as well as iconic classics by Rimsky-Korsakov, Ravel, Prokofiev, and Pablo Casals. A highlight of the show is the UK premiere of the new work The Laughter of Gordafarid for narrator and piano, by Farhad Poupe.
Margaret Fingerhut, pianist and co-creator of Daughters of Persia, said: “When Farhad came to the UK, he and I had many conversations about Persian culture. He spoke about the Shahnameh (Book of Kings), the great Persian epic, and how it is central and relevant to Iranian people today. He spoke enthusiastically about the female characters in the Shahnameh, and how their power and resourcefulness contrast with the West’s stereotypical image of Iranian women.
"From our conversations, we evolved our idea to create a programme of stories and music that celebrates Persian culture through the eyes of its women. Their stories, along with those from the Shahnameh, opened my eyes — and ears — to Persian culture, and I wanted to do the same for others.”
All proceeds from the night will go towards creating scholarships for young women artists from Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan. In collaboration with the British-Iranian Jaleh Esfahani Cultural Foundation, the Daughters of Persia Scholarship Fund will provide these women, who live in the UK, with access to opportunities in the arts.
Tickets are available to buy now. Check in with FACT for the best things to do in London.
GO: Visit www.kingsplace.co.uk for more information.