Top European orchestras in Iran
According to the Neue Musikzeitung, the Iranian Ministry of Culture is negotiating with the Berlin and Vienna Philharmonic Orchestras about guest performances in Tehran. This continues a thaw in musical matters that began with the rehabilitation of the Tehran Symphony Orchestra.
According to Bahram Jamali, the ministry's music commissioner, the occasion for a performance by the Vienna Philharmonic would be the state visit of Austrian President Heinz Fischer to Tehran in September. Neither the Vienna Philharmonic nor the Berlin Philharmonic have confirmed any such talks.
The last time the Berliner Philharmoniker performed in Iran was in 1979. With the Islamic revolution, the situation for music became increasingly difficult. Extreme interpretations of Islamic scripture generally prohibit music for religious reasons in Islam. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad disbanded the Tehran Symphony Orchestra, a decision that was reversed by his successor Hassan Ruhani.
