US Premiere Announced for Poupel's 'Legend of Bijan and Manijeh'

New York - The global ascent of composer Farhad Poupel has brought him to the attention of pianist Jeffrey Biegel, adding Mr. Poupel to Mr. Biegel's list of respected composers for his commissioning projects spanning more than twenty years. Mr. Biegel has commissioned many composers, including William Bolcom, Ellen Taaffe Zwilich, Kenneth Fuchs, Richard Danielpour, Lowell Liebermann, Jake Runestad, Christopher Theofanidis, Peter Boyer, Peter Schickele a.k.a. PDQ Bach, Charles Strouse, Adolphus Hailstork, Jim Stephenson, Daniel Perttu and more.

Farhad Poupel initially approached Mr. Biegel regarding his solo piano music, and, conversations led to Mr. Biegel inquiring if Mr. Poupel would compose a new work for piano, orchestra and chorus based on a Persian theme. As a result, "The Legend of Bijan and Manijeh" will have its World Premiere in November 2022 with the Windsor Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, Robert Franz conducting, and, the US Premiere in February 2024 with the Key Chorale and Orchestra, Joseph Caulkins conducting. The story of 'Bijan and Manijeh' is about two lovers from rival countries. As typical for many Shahnameh's stories, it helps us see the humanity beyond nationality, religious, gender, family ties or political wars. Here is the audio demo of the work:

https://soundcloud.com/farhad-poupel-688829638/farhad-poupel-the-legend-of-bijan-and-manijeh-1

From Maestro Joseph Caulkins:

"Key Chorale is thrilled to present the US premiere of this evocative and magisterial setting of this ancient Persian love story. Poupel’s music is full of deep, rich orchestral colors with an incredible sensitivity to how the voices and piano interact with the orchestra. I was blown away by the craftsmanship and emotional connection I had with the piece on the first hearing. That, along with the opportunity to work with pianist Jeffrey Biegel, makes this opportunity that I welcome enthusiastically. What a rare opportunity to present a Persian story written by an Iranian composer here in Sarasota, Florida. I know our audiences will be taken on a wonderful journey with this new composition."

From the composer Farhad Poupel:

"I am deeply honored that this nee piece of mine will be presented for the first time in the US by the distinguished forces of Jeffrey Biegel, Joseph Caulkins and the Key Chorale. I am very excited to share my new music with US audiences. Without performers, our pieces are just dots on the paper, and in concerts, the music comes to life more than we had imagined in our minds."

From pianist Jeffrey Biegel:

"In addition to the traditional repertoire for piano, I have enjoyed exploring the many possibilities to continue adding to the repertoire by way of commissioning composers to write new music for piano and orchestra, as well as adding chorus. This project with Farhad Poupel is the first time I have created a project with a composer outside of the US. His music speaks a language of harmonies and melodies reflecting his heritage, which is precisely what I had proposed. I have no doubt this work by Mr. Poupel will become a staple of the repertoire and will be enjoyed for many generations to come."

For more information about Mr. Poupel, please visit his website: http://www.farhadpoupel.com

For more information about Mr. Biegel, please visit his website: http://www.jeffreybiegel.com

For more information about Key Chorale and Maestro Caulkins, please visit their website: https://keychorale.org

For details about this commissioning project, please contact Mr. Biegel at biegel88@yahoo.com