The tanbur is an ancient musical instrument that took on different shapes and sound throughout history. Its sound has always had a touch of immaterial, abstract, shall we say ascetic, about it, which made it an ideal instrument for spiritual music. A ritualistic piece of kit during prayer, it is considered sacred by the followers of Yarsanism. It is, in fact, similar to a ritual, a mystical prayer, the performance that will take place on September 18 at the Biblioteca Marciana.

Mehdi Jalali, Iranian composer and conductor born in 1980, will paly the tanbur in a concert centred on the maqam, a type of melody and improvisational technique that is essential in Iranian music. This project shows how modern musical theatre evolves constantly, and how it can re-elaborate forms of ancient performance to inspire the culture of our present, where openness and contamination between different artistic expressions are urgent, vital, and necessary.