Woman. Life. Freedom.
An exclusive 360° of Opera interview with countertenor Cameron Shahbazi and harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani on their upcoming benefit concert at Oper Frankfurt, for Human Rights in Iran.
On Monday 12 December, 2022, a one-night-only benefit concert titled “Woman.Life.Freedom.” will take place at Oper Frankfurt, raising funds in support of the Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for Human Rights in Iran (ABC). Proceeds raised from ticket sales and any online donations will be directly benefiting ABC. The event will be available for global streaming on IDAGIO this winter, where 80% of net ticket sales will also go directly to ABC.
The concert features internationally acclaimed artists including countertenor Cameron Shahbazi, harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani, cellist Kian Soltani, violist Micha Afkham, sopranos Kristine Opolais, Lilian Farahani, Ambur Braid, and Giulia Semenzato, mezzo-soprano Anna Bonitatibus, percussionist Naghib Shanbehzadeh, flutist Azin Zahedi, pianists Jeff Cohen and Sophia Muñoz, stage director Pierre-Emmanuel Rousseau and more.
In addition to musical performances, the event will feature key speakers including Nargess Eskandari-Grünberg (Mayor of Frankfurt), Royan and Ladan Boroumand (co- founders of ABC), and virtual poetry readings and video messages from international stars, including actresses Sepideh Moafi and Jasmin Tabatabai, among others.
Countertenor, Cameron Shahbazi | Photo Credit: Kirini Kopcke
Rising countertenor Cameron Shahbazi is one of the most promising young voices of the opera world today and is celebrated for his “full, voluminous” voice and “personal and beautiful” timbre and praised for his acclaimed interpretations of both baroque and contemporary music (De Trouw).
The 2022/23 season marks exciting projects for Cameron Shahbazi. In Amsterdam Shahbazi sings his signature role Tolomeo at Dutch National Opera in a new production of Giulio Cesare. A sought-after concert performer, Shahbazi starts his season with concerts of Carmina Burana with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic. He further presents a concert of Stabat Mater in Versailles and performs George Benjamin’s acclaimed concert piece Dream of the song for countertenor and female chorus with Gürzenich Orchestra in Cologne.
Highlights of the past seasons included his debut at Oper Frankfurt as Oberon in a new production of Midsummer Night’s Dream and his involvement at Internationale Handel-Festspiele Karlsruhe where he took on the title role in Tolomeo, re d’Egitto in a production by Benjamin Lazar. Shahbazi gave his Russian debut as Tolomeo in Giulio Cesare in Egitto with the Moscow Chamber Ensemble, conducted by Christopher Moulds.
1 / Could you please share with us some details about your origins and heritage?
CS: I am the son of two Iranian parents who immigrated to Canada as a result of the revolution in 1979. The trauma from this life-changing event has shaped who my parents are, their parenting style and the lessons they taught me over the course of my life. While I was not raised to follow any particular religion, they always told me to respect myself, my neighbour and my environment.
Both of my experiences in Iran were as a child. I travelled once with my mother and brother, and another time alone with my father. It was on those trips that I truly connected with my parents in a mature manner. I remember my mother crying when we landed in Tehran. It was her first time back in over twenty years. I remember my father being so excited and full of childlike joy, thrilled to finally introduce me to my aunts, uncles, and cousins. Both trips were life-altering in many ways, but, sadly, I have not been able to return to Iran for reasons out of my control. In many ways, the dark clouds that hover over this beautiful country have robbed me of the opportunity to hug my extended family and reconnect with my motherland. But what’s worse, these dark clouds, cast by the Islamic Regime, have robbed and suppressed much more from the people in Iran — certainly Iranian women.
Iran is the source of so much art and poetry and philosophical thought. This great civilisation has nourished us with its artistic values and respect for human life. However, for over 43 years, the Islamic Regime has shown no respect for human life. Iran is a diverse country, but under this Regime, women, ethnic minorities and religious minorities are treated as second-class citizens. Under this Regime, same-sex relations are strictly illegal and punishable by death. Under this Regime, systems of oppression and violence have become the norm. This Regime does not represent the people of Iran, and they have had enough.
2 / When were you introduced to opera and how did you decide to make it your career? What are some of your adjacent passions and interests?
CS: I was introduced to opera in my teenage years. I would say that my existence in this musical world is the result of my love of creating and recreating as well as my curiosity. In fact, it is my belief that discovering one’s true voice requires curiosity, discipline, and courage. I became a countertenor by being curious enough to explore what was once considered a limitation in my voice, having the discipline to continuously develop and better understand it, and by finding the courage to be vulnerable and persevere. At this point in my life, I devote my career to singing because, in addition to being great fun, it offers endless challenges which stimulate my curiosity and discipline, while always requiring some courage.
3 / Why is this humanitarian cause, while universal, particularly important to you?
CS: Iran is experiencing its largest civil rights movement since the revolution in 1979. This movement was sparked by the death of Mahsa Zhina Amini, a 22-year old Kurdish-Iranian girl who was picked up for “wearing improper hijab” and died after traumas sustained while in thecustody of the Islamic Republic’s “morality police”. Mahsa Zhina Amini's death on September 16, 2022 prompted mass female-led protests around the country. Images and videos of these brave female protestors have gone viral and hundreds of thousands of people have gathered across Iran and around the world in support, and millions more online. Over two months later, this is no longer a protest, but rather an intersectional revolution, led by women and girls, to end gender-based discrimination as well as state-sanctioned violence against women. People in Iran are also fighting for a democratic, secular government, freedom of speech and the press, and equality for all minorities, which includes religious and ethnic minorities.
As an Iranian in the diaspora, it is my duty, my responsibility, and my great honour to take action and join in support of the revolution currently taking place in Iran. While I am not aligned with any specific diaspora groups, political organisations, think tanks or ideologies concerning Iran and its future, it is my belief that all Iranians should be able to live freely and enjoy the same basic human rights that many of us take for granted.
My support has taken many forms. I have been actively sharing facts and figures with my followers, drawing attention to the voices and stories coming from within Iran and attending protests in major cities. People from all walks of life, various political and socio-economic backgrounds are coming together in support of the women and men risking their lives in Iran.
This cause goes way beyond everyday politics — it is a humanitarian crisis. Like many of my colleagues, I have spent over a decade training my instrument in order to share and humanize endless operatic characters and songs. It just so happens that my instrument is my voice and I’ve been thinking about how I use my voice on and off stage. I have been questioning the point of singing if the sound has no meaning behind it. How could I possibly accept to sing the roles like Siroe, re di Persia (Handel) on-stage, but show no courage off-stage? This opera, for example, was composed in 1719, loosely based on stories from centuries prior. In his big scene, Siroe, the rightful heir to the Persian throne, has been wrongfully sentenced to death and no one has come to his defence. He mentions that the people around him are either barbaric or worse... silent.
While I haven’t had many opportunities to go back to Iran, I do have the opportunity to sing and use my voice to support and draw attention to this revolution. I put my scores aside for a few months and rolled my sleeves to work on this benefit concert.
4 / The event will take place at Oper Frankfurt in support of the Abdorrahman Boroumand Center (ABC). Please tell us more about these collaborations.
CS: I am beyond grateful to Herr Bernd Loebe of Oper Frankfurt for being a leader in our community and providing their stage and resources so that we can bring focus to the stories coming from Iran, educate those who are less familiar with this revolution, and raise funds for the Abdorrahman Boroumand Center (ABC). ABC is a non-governmental, non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of human rights and democracy in Iran. Founded in 2001, it is internationally recognized for its ongoing and extraordinary work and I am proud to support them in any way that I can. ABC seeks to restore the dignity of countless victims of Iran’s human rights violations. Their digital database, the largest of its kind, has documented over 26,000 cases of violations of the right to life — including executions, targeted killings, and deaths in protests — over the last four decades. This database is vital in providing the necessary tools to raise awareness of these issues, and to help bring about change.
Oper Frankfurt is a leader in our industry on many fronts: new productions, amazing casting, big artistic risks, incredible efficiency, etc. However, in addition to all of that, the company has been incredibly generous with its support for this cause. The key to any fundraiser is transparency.
Thanks to Oper Frankfurt, I can be transparent. Our tickets are priced very reasonably (€15-30) to enable anyone to attend the event. Of this price, €5 of every ticket sold will go to the theatre to help reduce their overhead costs. The remainder will go to ABC and everyone is invited to increase their donation, sending the funds directly to ABC.
This benefit concert is so special because every one of the incredible artists featured in both videos and in person is donating their time and their performance, maximizing the funds that we can raise for this more than worthy organization. Because of Oper Frankfurt, we can go one stepfurther and broadcast the performance on IDAGIO where people from around the world can take part in this event digitally. Eighty percent of the digital ticket sales will go to ABC.
I understood that producing an event of this nature, in under two months, is a massive undertaking, especially as we approach the holidays. I’ve never done something like this before! However, we have seen the classical music and opera world come together before and we knowthe power our collective voice can have to raise awareness and move people to action. We — being performers, managers, Intendants, directors, administrators, designers, technical staff — have chosen our professions because of our love of our respective art forms and because it gives us and audiences alike a feeling of joy that affirms life itself. In affirming life, we uphold the very reasons for human existence and the basic rights enshrined in what it means to be human. Oper Frankfurt understood that we cannot remain silent as one of the world’s great civilisations is trampled upon by a regime which denies people basic human rights, including the right to practice what we have chosen as our life’s work.
Countertenor, Cameron Shahbazi | Photo Credit: Kirini Kopcke
5 / What was the casting and invitation process like for the artists who will be participating in the event? Could you share some details about the program?
CS: There was no shortage of interest from artists around the world to support the revolution in Iran and raise funds for ABC. We understood that we cannot remain silent as one of the world’s great civilisations is trampled upon by a regime which denies people basic human rights, including the right to practice what we have chosen as our life’s work.
On December 12, 2022, I will be joined by esteemed friends and colleagues from around the world to stand up in support of the people in Iran and encourage our beloved theatres and concert halls to share this message. We artists, both Iranians and non-Iranians are coming together, both in person and via video messages, to collectively raise our voices in support of "Woman, Life, Freedom”, the people in Iran and their fight for a better future.
I am proud to be joined by many incredible musicians including sopranos Ambur Braid, Lilian Farahani, Kristine Opolais and Giulia Semenzato, mezzo-soprano Anna Bonitatibus, harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani, cellist Kian Soltani, percussionist Naghib Shanbehzadeh, violist Micha Afkham, pianists Jeff Cohen and Sophia Muñoz and more. Every artist is donating their time and performance in support of ABC and the Iranian revolution. Our courage to be on stage, to give something of ourselves at our best moments, is nothing in comparison to the courage of the Iranian people who are now standing up to evil. The heroism we see from Iran’s youth and most importantly from its women is the heroism we think is only possible in the theatre.
I am delighted to work alongside Oper Frankfurt, the French stage director Pierre-Emmanuel Rousseau and Opera for Peace to produce this special evening. The evening will be unique in many ways. Pierre-Emmanuel Rousseau has come up with an intimate stage design where all artists will be present throughout the evening, taking in the music and texts together. The programme includes operatic arias, songs, and instrumental solos inspired by Iran and courageous women. We have created many unique duos and trios and will be joined by the widely celebrated Iranian percussionist Naghib Shanbehzadeh who will be playing improvisations throughout the evening.
In addition, we are featuring the voices of academics and activists with poetry readings from special guests who were unable to attend in person. .
Hapsichordist, Mahan Esfahani | Photo Credit: Kaja Smith
Mahan Esfahani has made it his life's mission to rehabilitate the harpsichord in the mainstream of concert instruments, and to that end his creative programming and work in commissioning new works have drawn the attention of critics and audiences across Europe, Asia, and North America. He was the first and only harpsichordist to be a BBC New Generation Artist (2008-2010), a Borletti-Buitoni prize winner (2009), and a nominee for Gramophone's Artist of the Year (2014, 2015, and 2017). In 2022, he became the youngest recipient of the Wigmore Medal, in recognition of his significant contribution and longstanding relationship with the Hall.
He has performed in most of the major concert halls in the world and his discography includes seven critically-acclaimed recordings for Hyperion and Deutsche Grammophon – garnering one Gramophone award, two BBC Music Magazine Awards, a Diapason d’Or and ‘Choc de Classica’ in France, and an ICMA.
6 / While it is not our view at 360° of Opera, many art professionals believe the arts should stay out of "politics”. How do you think artists and music can have an impact beyond the performance, in the course of history and humanitarian causes? What are some strategies to do this?
MAHAN ESFAHANI: Of course, one has to draw a balance. I do want to point out something that might be rather unpopular at the moment, which is that constantly blathering about politics from the stage leaves us as musicians with very little defence when the time comes (for it will — it always does) for nefarious politics to try to co-opt and use our art form. So one does have to be rather careful.
Having said that, I shouldn’t think that human rights and the right to live — and really, this concert is a celebration of life — are a political matter, are they? Ultimately, I personally feel that the art itself is a protest against all that is ugly and wrong and unjust and dark. Light is drawn to light, even in great darkness.
7 / How have the current events in Iran and their historical origins affected your life, your family’s or your friends? Since the media reach regarding these issues has been limited, what is your message for our readers and your audience? What can they do to help this situation?
MAHAN ESFAHANI: Every Iranian grows up with a sense of history; it is the topic of conversation at the dinner table from our childhood, it is the topic of polite (and impolite) conversation in gatherings of family and friends, and it defines so much our sense of self as an ancient and great civilisation. I am very proud of this.
My message is very simple: my civilisation deserves a future worthy of its past. You can be a part of this by seeing yourself as our brothers and sisters in freedom, in shared history, in mutual admiration and respect.
Hapsichordist, Mahan Esfahani | Photo Credit: Kaja Smith
8 / What are your hopes for the impact of this benefit concert? Are there plans for future projects of this nature?
CS: It is my intention to bring focus on the stories coming from Iran, to educate those who are less familiar with this historic, female-initiated revolution, and to raise funds for the Abdorrahman Boroumand Center (ABC). ABC is a non-governmental, non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of human rights and democracy in Iran.
Founded in 2001, it is internationally recognized for its ongoing and extraordinary work and I am proud to support them in any way that I can. ABC seeks to restore the dignity of countless victims of Iran’s human rights violations. Their digital database, the largest of its kind, has documented over 26,000 cases of violations of the right to life — including executions, targeted killings, and deaths in protests — over the last four decades. This database is vital in providing the necessary tools to raise awareness of these issues, and to help bring about change.
Art has the power to lower one's guard and increase empathy. It is my hope that, by the end of the evening, our audience is reminded of the individual power they hold to bring about meaningful social change. While the future of Iran should be decided by Iranians, the international community can raise awareness, amplify the voices of Iranians and ensure their own governments do not stand idly by.
Countertenor, Cameron Shahbazi | Photo Credit: Kirini Kopcke
As of December 4th, in what appears to be a concession to the revolutionary movement, Iran’s attorney general declared that the government could be abolishing the morality police. Details remain unclear.
@360ofOpera invites its readers and followers to help keep the Iranian revolution in the public eye by sharing this article, attending this event in person and/or virtually, and donating to the cause. Please follow the artists @cameron.shahbazi @mahanharpsichord and @iranrights to stay connected with legitimate sources of information on this topic.
- interview by Eugenia Forteza