The Roya Ensemble will perform original music that blends Persian mysticism with flamenco and jazz at the University of Mary Washington on Wednesday, April 9. The concert, which will be preceded by a short lecture on “Music and Spirituality,” will begin at 7 p.m. in Woodard Campus Center, Great Hall. The event is free and open to the public.
Founded last year by Roya Bahrami, the Roya Ensemble draws on the Persian roots of flamenco in its music. Her lecture focuses on how the music of Eastern and Western musical traditions has influenced each other.
Born and raised in Iran, Bahrami worked as a telecommunications engineer for 20 years before becoming a full-time musician. She released her most recent album, “Roya,” in August 2007.
Bahrami studied Persian repertoire and Western classical music and has performed at several North American venues including the Library of Congress, the National Gallery of Art and New York University. She received a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Maryland.
Besides Bahrami who is composer and vocalist, the ensemble includes Richard Marlow on the flamenco guitar, Harry Appelman on keyboards and Jon Seligman on percussion.
For more information about the performance, contact Mehdi Aminrazavi of the Department of Classics, Philosophy, and Religion at (540) 654-1341.