Family Photos by Kian Ravaei, Performed by Artonic Quartet at Songs of Hope Concert by Art of Elan

Family Photos by Kian Ravaei, performed live by Artonic Quartet at Art of Elan's Songs of Hope Concert at Mingei International Museum.
I. At the Carnival
II. On the Tehran Tower
III. In Arcadia
Ensemble:
Artonic Quartet
Jing Yan Bowcott, violin
Julia Pautz, violin
Hanah Stuart, viola
Xian Zhou, cello
Note from the composer:
Family Photos is a musical collage of personally significant places from my childhood. The first movement, “At the Carnival,” takes inspiration from the whimsy and spectacle of my neighborhood carnival. “On the Tehran Tower,” the second movement, incorporates elements of Iranian classical music, inspired by my childhood trips to visit family in Tehran. The third and final movement, “In Arcadia,” represents not only my hometown in the suburbs of Los Angeles, but also the Arcadia of Ancient Greek mythology, a heaven on Earth.
Composer Bio:
Composer Kian Ravaei (b. 1999) synthesizes diverse inspirations into evocative musical portraits, drawing from the songs of endangered birds, for example, or the Iranian music of his ancestral heritage. He has collaborated with sought-after artists such as Tessa Lark, Eliot Fisk, and Fleur Barron, and has received a Copland House CULTIVATE Fellowship, a Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra Composer Teaching Artist Fellowship, a Chamber Music Northwest Protégé Project Residency Award, a New Music USA Creator Fund Award, and a Barlow Endowment Commission. He is a graduate of UCLA, where he studied with Grammy-Award winning composer Richard Danielpour.
About Songs of Hope:
Tied to Mingei International Museum’s cross-border exhibit (LA FRONTERA) that showcases handmade jewelry from artists on both sides of the U.S. / Mexico border, this program amplified a variety of voices, featuring the world premiere of an Art of Elan commissioned work by composer Michi Wiancko for solo harp, in addition to works by Sarah Kirkland Snider, Lei Liang, Kian Ravaei and others. This concert is from our 17th season, titled "True North", performed on April 25, 2024 at Mingei International Museum. The Songs of Hope program was generously underwritten by Elaine Baldwin and Carl Nelson.
Video Production: Kyle Johnson, DEFINITE Media
Audio Engineer: Daniel Rumley, Rumley Music and Audio Production
Photography: Gary Payne Photography