Never mind that classically trained Iranian singer Bahar Movahed is also an orthodontist whose practice is (perhaps handily) located in my current stomping ground of Orange County, California. Far more to the point are her musical talent, her moving from Iran to the U.S. to nullify restrictions on that talent, and the grandeur of her album Together Yet Alone (Adhyaropa Records, 2026).
After a year of online collaborating, Movahed and acclaimed composer Navid Dehghan recorded for what was surely a laser-focused three days in a Tehran studio with Dehghan’s 14-piece Ghamar Ensemble. What came out of it is a first-rate disc of Persian classical music with no concessions to commercialism or watering-down of any kind.
The opening instrumental “Early Spring” gets right to it, with strings, reeds, and percussion leading the way in a most striking manner. Mohaved’s voice emerges as an almost whispered warble on the second track “In Grace of Flight Part 1,” and before long her vocals are scaling heights of poetic beauty that match the orchestral finesse of the ensemble perfectly for the blissful hour-plus that follows.
Mohaved sets no sights on being the only attraction here, often holding back for long stretches before re-entering the musical proceedings in accordance with whatever the particular passage needs, be it subtle or searing. This being classical music in much the same sense as its Western counterparts, the pieces are long affairs with sections both thundering and hushed. Moods are many, and I found both parts of “In Grace of Flight” to be a particularly impressive sonic array.
Given Iran’s present geopolitical standing, I’d recommend simply letting this fine music represent both traditional Persian and modern Iranian culture.
Author: Tom Orr
Tom Orr is a California-based writer whose talent and mental stability are of an equally questionable nature. His hobbies include ignoring trends, striking dramatic poses in front of his ever-tolerant wife and watching helplessly as his kids surpass him in all desirable traits.