Iran’s famous orchestra barred from performance over female musicians

TEHRAN, Aug. 12, 2015 (Xinhua) — Members of China Philharmonic Orchestra play during a rehearsal in Tehran, Iran, on Aug. 12, 2015. The visiting China Philharmonic Orchestra will jointly perform with Tehran Symphony Orchestra, as part of its six-country silk road tour. (Xinhua/Ahmad Halabisaz)

A high-profile performance in Iran by the Tehran Symphony Orchestra was cancelled at the last minute because it was due to feature female musicians.

The orchestra conductor Ali Rahbari said on Sunday he was told 15 minutes before the orchestra was scheduled to play at a major sporting event that they could not.

“The chairs were laid out and everything looked fine,” he said, referring to the World Wrestling Clubs Cup competition which opened in the Tehran on Thursday.

Before performing the national anthem, all of a sudden it was announced women cannot play on stage.

“I was offended and said it was impossible for me to accept such an insult,” Rahbari added. “We either play all together or we leave”.

Efforts to resolve the issue failed.

“It’s absolutely impossible for women to play musical instruments on stage,” Rahbari quoted organizers of the ceremony as saying.

Banned from singing solo in public since the Islamic revolution of 1979, female Iranian musicians have repeatedly complained of having been stopped from performing, particularly outside Tehran.

“They invited us themselves and yet they disrespected us,” Rahbari said.

“Why shouldn’t they be allowed to perform the national anthem of their country?”

The issue of music in public has resurfaced in the past year with artists repeatedly complaining they have been stopped from performing at short notice despite having official authorization.

Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani, a moderate elected in 2013, has said that as long as artists and musicians have a permit from the culture ministry then no one should stop them from working.

However, many concerts have been cancelled regardless with little explanation.

Religious leaders have spoken out against them and conservatives claim music can “excite and cause deviation” among the country’s youth.

Since 1979, state television has rarely shown musical instruments on screen.

Recent concert cancellations have been viewed by some Iranians as a tactic used by the country’s conservative establishment to push back against Rouhani’s government.