Reza Asgarzadeh, duduk & Chouchane Siranossian, violin

“Raftam ke raftam” (Persian: رفتام که رفتام) is one of the best-known Persian folk songs, performed here on the duduk — the deeply expressive Armenian double-reed instrument whose warm, plaintive tone is closely associated with traditional Middle Eastern and Caucasian music. The line “I went, so I went (away)” conveys a sense of farewell, longing and quiet resignation, setting the emotional tone of this atmospheric late-night concert.

We are delighted to welcome Reza Asgarzadeh to Bad Kissingen, where he will present his highly personal approach to Persian traditional music and improvisation. A renowned musician in Iran, active across many musical genres, he is also a passionate recorder player and a long-standing guest of the Blockflötenfesttage.

He is joined by the Armenian violinist Chouchane Siranossian, who was introduced to Armenian musical traditions at an early age by her father, the distinguished musicologist Alexandre Siranossian. Internationally celebrated as a Baroque violinist, she returns to the festival after her acclaimed appearance in the opening concert — this time revealing a different, deeply rooted side of her artistic identity.

Armenian liturgical chant is among the oldest written musical traditions in the world. It forms part of an extraordinarily rich heritage spanning more than a thousand years of Armenian cultural history, elements of which will be heard and re-imagined in this programme.

Her interpretation of “Havun, Havun” (Armenian: Հավուն, Հավուն — “The bird was awake”) is renowned for its sense of timelessness and open-ended improvisation. The melody originates from the 10th-century Armenian mystic Krikor Naregatsi. Here, the image of the wakeful bird enters into an intimate musical dialogue with the dark, breathing sound of the duduk, creating a moment of haunting stillness and poetic intensity.

FRI, 15 May 2026 | 9:30 pm | » Erlöserkirche | Duration approx. 30 minutes | Concert without interval

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