To mark the 5th anniversary of the Christchurch Mosque attacks, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra presented a unique collaboration promoting unity and peace through music. Conducted by Fawzi Haimor, and featuring powerful Moroccan vocalist Oum, oud virtuoso Kyriakos Tapakis, and local musicians from Simurgh Music, the NZSO performed three "Beyond Words" concerts in Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland.
We were honored to take part in the 2025 Eid al-Fitr celebration at the New Zealand Parliament—an especially meaningful occasion as it marked the first time musicians were invited to perform at the annual event. Our sincere thanks to Hisham Eldai from the Ministry for Ethnic Communities for his continued support and for inviting us to be part of the festivities.
Hosted by Te Matatiki Toi Ora | The Christchurch Arts Centre, Sounds of Salaam was a festival showcasing high level musicianship from Islamic and Middle Eastern communities. Simurgh Music was proud to collaborate with local artists to present high quality Persian, Arabic, Afghan, Qawwali, and Kazakh sets. The event also featured exceptional contributions by our friends in Noor Ensemble, as well as a mesmerizing Turkish Sufi performance by Melbourne-based duo Yusuf Kasap and Sinan Pamuk.
Inspired by the warm reception of our 2023 Nowruz celebration, Simurgh Music and University of Canterbury Iranian Society teamed up to host a vibrant evening of traditional music and dance from members of the Iranian, Afghan and Kazakh communities. Held at Haere Roa, University of Canterbury, this event also marked the first performance of talented Simurgh youth group.
Hosted at Te Matatiki Toi Ora | The Christchurch Arts Centre and organised by Everyone An Artist Trust, was an all-day festival of music, dance, and cultural performances from different Asian cultures. Simurgh was invited to give a performance with a talented team of Persian, Turkish and Arabic singers and instruments, showcasing a fusion of tunes and melodies shared across the Middle-East.
With Nowruz being a major festival celebrated by many nations around the Persian and Turkic world, It was always a dream of ours to host a joint celebration between these diverse communities. This dream came true in 2023 when the Christchurch Iranian, Afghan and Kazakh communities came together to share their Nowruz customs, with vibrant traditional performances, dances, poetry, cultural and educational displays.
Simurgh Music once again collaborated with Asturlab Cultural Centre to put together the music programme for Christchurch's largest-yet celebration of Eid Al-Fitr. The programme featured Arabic nasheeds, Persian percussion group and traditional Afghan performances.
Christchurch Iranian Society's 2022 Nowruz (Persian New Year) celebration at the Aldersgate Centre, where Simurgh Music School trained a group of talented young kids to perform. They were definitely the stars of the show! A following celebration at Tūranga Library featured an educational presentation on Persian music by Simurgh Music School tutors.
Naghmat Al Sama, meaning "Melodies from the Sky" in Arabic, was a heartfelt evening of music to celebrate the Islamic holiday of Eid Al-Adha, and featured traditional songs and instruments from the Arab-Persian World. Held in the Great Hall, Christchurch Arts Centre in collaboration between Simurgh Music and Asturlab Cultural Centre.
In collaboration with Asturlab Cultural Centre, Simurgh Music School put together the music programme for Christchurch's first Eid Al-Fitr Festival, the city's largest ever celebration of Middle-Eastern & Islamic cultures. Simurgh Music school's Persian daf drummers accompanied Arabic singers for a series of nasheeds - traditional Islamic songs.
A week long music festival hosted by the University of Canterbury School of Music, where Simurgh Music School provided presentations and workshops on Persian & Middle-Eastern music to some young musicians. The event culminated with a concert in the Christchurch Town Hall, where our tutors and daf group joined in some fusion performances with Chinese, Western, and Indian traditional musicians.
03 Sessions is a weekly concert series held at Space Academy, whose mission is to promote original and improvised music across a wide range of genres. This was the first full scale concert by a Persian music group in Christchurch, with a mix of modern and traditional pieces by Bārbad Ensemble, including the Simurgh Music School tutors. For many in the audience it was a first encounter with this type of music.
Organised by the University of Canterbury Global Society, the event was a celebration of the diverse range of fashion from around the world. Simurgh Music School's daf group and Samaa dancers joined with Bārbad Ensemble to perform together for the first time, as well as contribute Persian attire to the international fashion runway.
Once a month Simurgh Music School hosts an evening of Samaa - Sufi whirling dervish dance sessions, with live traditional music & singing, and recitation of Persian poetry by the likes of Rumi. The sessions are free for everyone and tea and refreshments are also provided. Whether you want to try something new and join in the whirling, or just come to relax and enjoy the atmosphere, all are welcome.
Hosted by the Canterbury Museum in collaboration with Lady Khadija Trust was a showcase of Persian culture in Christchurch, as part of their series of Migrant Community Showcases. The event utilized the 'Isolation Hotel' exhibition to feature music performances by Simurgh Music School and Bārbad Ensemble, and a demontration of zurkhaneh, a traditional Persian form of exercise, athletics and martial arts by our friends at Zurkhaneh Academy NZ.
Hosted by the Te Hāpua Halswell Centre as part of the Christchurch City Libraries' NZ May Music Month programme, Simurgh Music School put on a showcase of Persian and Indian musical instruments and culture, with a special Persian/Indian fusion performance with tabla & dilruba musician Louis Singh Talbot, as well as a performance by Bārbad Ensemble and a demonstration by Zurkhaneh Acadamy NZ.
Held in the beautiful Little River Campground each year is a weekend celebrating world percussion, organised by percussionist Doug Brush. The Drum Festival features an incredible lineup of drum & dance from Africa, Latin America, Asia, Oceania and for the first time this year: Persia. Simurgh Music School and Zurkhaneh Academy NZ had the pleasure of putting together a set showcasing the Daf, Tonbak, Dammam and Zarb, as well as samaa dance and zurkhaneh training.
