The Second Qeshm Oud Festival embraces an international approach by adding a non-competitive section and removing age restrictions.
The second Qeshm National Oud Festival, held on Qeshm Island, Iran, is set to unfold with new changes and ambitions. Organized in collaboration between the Qeshm Free Zone Organization and the Book City Institute (شهرکتاب), a cultural organization that manages a chain of bookstores and cultural centers across Iran, the festival introduces a non-competitive section, eliminates age restrictions, emphasizes cultural diplomacy, and lays the groundwork for future international editions.
A press conference for the festival was held on Sunday, February 24th, with the participation of Edris Ramuz, Deputy of Cultural, Social and Tourism Affairs of the Qeshm Free Zone Organization; Mehdi Firoozan, CEO of the Book City Institute; Ali Jafarabadi, Deputy Director of the Book City Institute; Mohsen Fattahi, Executive Secretary of the Festival; Keyvan Farzin, Secretary of the Jury Committee; Majid Nazempour, oud player, instructor, and researcher, and one of the festival judges.
The festival’s closing ceremony is scheduled to take place from April 14-17, 2025 in various locations on Qeshm Island, including the Portuguese Castle and Kharbas Cave, aiming to spread a musical atmosphere throughout the island. Qeshm Island, located in the Persian Gulf, is an Iranian island and free zone of significant cultural and economic importance. The oud is a stringed instrument, a short-necked lute-type instrument, that holds a prominent place in Middle Eastern music traditions.
Book City and the Scope of Cultural Activities
At the beginning of the press conference, Ali Jafarabadi, Deputy Director of the Book City Institute, stated: “Book City is a place for beauty and creation, and we believe that if synergy exists, lofty cultural goals will be achieved… If we believe that we must create beauty, it is not possible unless we take steps in this direction by seeing and hearing different tastes. Therefore, Book City, as one of the important and fundamental aspects of its approach, must pay attention to music. Book City stands in the middle of Iranian culture, and music applies to both. Since music is one of the important components of Iranian culture, we have partnered with the Qeshm Free Zone Organization to transform this event into an international festival in the coming years, given the historical and cultural capacity of the oud.”
Changes in the Festival: From Non-Competitive Section to Removal of Age Restrictions
Mohsen Fattahi, Executive Secretary of the Festival, referring to the experiences of the previous year, said: “Last year, commendable measures were taken to hold the first Oud Festival, and in the second edition, we intend to complement them.” Explaining the sections of the festival, he said: “In addition to the competitive section, we will also have a non-competitive section. The idea for this was raised last year, and this year we decided to implement it. In this section, we have no age limit, and groups of 10 or even 50 people will be able to participate. Two rhythmic instruments must be in the composition, and if a group presents a remarkable idea or performance, they can participate in the non-competitive section.”
Emphasizing the approach of making the oud music scene more “social,” he announced specialized oud instrument sessions: “In these sessions, we will examine the challenges and problems in this art, and also to strengthen the economic dimension and commercialization of the oud, we will hold an exhibition in cooperation with oud makers. In the form of a campaign, we also invite musicians of various instruments to come to Qeshm with their instruments and play in the designed space.”
According to him, the change in the timing of the festival was also a conscious decision: “In Esfand (February/March), due to the coincidence with Ramadan and the high density of tourists, it was not possible to hold this event properly. We also intended to reduce the role of the government in the festival’s stewardship and transfer part of the responsibility to the Book City Institute to create more innovation with new ideas. We also consult with Ali Sabetnia, who resides in Mashhad.”
The Role of Cultural Diplomacy and Qeshm as a “Civilizational Gateway”
Edris Ramuz, Deputy of Cultural, Social and Tourism Affairs of the Qeshm Free Zone Organization, also stated at the meeting: “The oud and oud playing were registered globally in 1401 (2022) in the name of Iran and Syria. Last year, we held a festival with the executive secretaryship of Ali Sabetnia and the artistic secretaryship of Arsalan Kamkar, and we intend to expand this festival. Our most important task in the Qeshm Free Zone is to create suitable platforms for economic development. But this economic development is not possible without dynamic cultural diplomacy. We have many cultural commonalities with neighboring countries, and Qeshm’s most important cultural asset is music, especially the oud. Therefore, one of the main goals of holding the festival in the Qeshm Free Zone is to emphasize the link between economic and cultural diplomacy. Music is an international language that can bring a message of peace and friendship to different societies. When this language is combined with the cultural souvenirs and tourism of Qeshm Island, it will bring great political and economic capital to the region and the country.” The festival emphasizes cultural diplomacy, aiming to foster exchange and understanding between Iran and neighboring countries through the universal language of music, highlighting shared cultural heritage.
Ramuz pointed out that the oud has a serious presence in the homes and lives of the people of Qeshm, calling Qeshm the “civilizational gateway” of the country: “Throughout history, Qeshm Island has played the role of translator and mediator in Iran’s cultural exchanges with the countries of the region, and we believe that we can use the capacity of this island as a cultural medium to create international interactions. It should be noted that the oud (or barbat) has long been a tool for cultural communication in Iran, and now, in combination with tourism, it can bring economic prosperity to the south of the country.”
He concluded by noting: “Last year, many young artists attended the Qeshm Oud Festival, and this shows that in the discussion of identity-building for the young generation, the oud can create a link between the past and the present. If this event is institutionalized among the general public, in the coming years, the public institutions themselves will be able to hold it, and the Qeshm Free Zone will only play a supporting and facilitating role. We are in the process of establishing a permanent secretariat for the festival in the Oud House, which will be designed based on the architecture of the Persian Gulf.”
From the Historical Perspective of the Oud to the International Section of the Festival
Continuing the meeting, Majid Nazempour, oud player, instructor, researcher, and one of the festival judges, referring to the history and international status of this instrument, said: “The oud, by its very nature, has been the instrument of scholars and philosophers. Its history dates back five thousand years, and it is the only Iranian instrument that is recognized internationally. Despite the fact that the oud originated in Iran and was transferred to Europe and the Middle East, for some unknown reason, it was mostly forgotten by Iranian families in the last three centuries. At the beginning of the contemporary era, Master Ruhollah Khaleghi commissioned two people to return the oud and the qanun to Iran, and various masters have also strived to further introduce this instrument. However, it has not yet been introduced as it should be.”
Stating that specialized oud festivals are very popular in Middle Eastern countries, he spoke about the international section of the Qeshm Oud Festival after this period: “We intend to let the world know what Iran looks like in oud playing, and with this goal, we have invited foreign artists in a limited way this year, but from the next edition, we will hold the international section more seriously. Egypt, North Africa, Turkey, and Iraq each have prominent oud schools, and we are trying to have at least one player from each school present at the festival. Our main goal is to introduce the Iranian style of oud playing to the world and bring the level of our oud players to international standards.”
Judging Process and New Distinctions
Keyvan Farzin, Secretary of the Festival’s Jury Committee, announced new changes in the judging method: “In the first festival, the judging was different in the first and second stages. After its completion, we also talked with the participants and experts to identify the shortcomings. This year, the boundary between regional and traditional music has been removed, and instead, we have more distinct age classifications. The judges only give points to a final performance and must cover a wide range of tastes and viewpoints. The selection of works is done at the beginning, but in Qeshm Island, we do not have a special competition, except for some selected performances that, if the policy council considers them eligible, their performance in Qeshm will be accompanied by receiving the festival statue. In this period, we have paid special attention to Persian, Arabic, and Turkish music, which have common roots, and all the colors of Iranian cultural music can participate in the festival.”
Regarding the research related to the festival, Farzin added: “Last year, we had research sessions, and it was planned to collect and document images of oud-playing children, which did not progress much due to a technical problem. We hope that in the coming periods, we can pursue the research aspect of the matter more seriously in order to have a comprehensive technical knowledge and visual archive of oud players.”
Why Did the Government Distance Itself from Stewardship?
In another part of the meeting, Mohsen Fattahi, Executive Secretary of the Festival, explaining the change of organizers and the government’s distancing from stewardship, said: “Change always leads to innovation. This time, we have delegated part of the festival’s organization to the Book City Institute to give more variety to the work process with new ideas. Of course, we are still in contact with friends and artists such as Ali Sabetnia, and we use his viewpoints in the process of holding the festival. On the other hand, it was important for us that the private sector become more prominent and that the festival be held at a time when the city of Qeshm is not limited due to the rush of tourists. Therefore, holding it in March/April was considered more logical.”
Transformation in Timing, Closing Ceremony Venue, and Public Attendance
According to the festival secretariat, the deadline for submitting works continues until Esfand 10th (late February/early March), and the judging of submitted works will be completed before Nowruz (the Iranian New Year). Then, the festival programs will be held on April 14-17, 2025 in two locations: the Portuguese Castle and Kharbas Cave. Fattahi explained the reason for this timing: “Qeshm Island hosts a large number of tourists in February/March, and there is not much accommodation capacity left. On the other hand, the coincidence with the holy month of Ramadan did not allow for proper holding. Therefore, we decided to hold the festival in March/April, when the island is quieter and conditions are favorable for cultural tourism.”
The festival is planned to attract musicians from other instruments through a public campaign in order to benefit from music in the daily lives of the island’s residents. Also, the winners of the previous edition will participate in this edition under the title of “Music from the Caspian to the Persian Gulf” and will have performances.
The Oud in Iranian Culture and Future Goals of the Festival
The oud (barbat or rod) is one of the stringed-plucked instruments of Iranian music, which was registered nationally in the country in 1397 (2018/2019) and in 1401 (2022), the skill of making and playing it was jointly placed with Syria on the UNESCO World Heritage List. In May last year, the oud’s world registration plaque was unveiled in the Mirror Hall of Qeshm with the presence of local artists and national officials, and since then, the Qeshm Free Zone Organization, with the aim of developing artistic activities and introducing this international capacity, initiated the idea of holding the Oud Festival.
The call for the second Qeshm National Oud Festival was published on early February and the deadline for submitting works has been announced as late February. The closing ceremony is scheduled to be held on April 14-17, 2025, after which the festival secretariat will pursue the establishment of the international section in the third edition. The presence of different schools of oud music in the festival, the formation of a permanent secretariat, and its transformation into an annual event with the active participation of people and local artistic groups are among the most important goals set.
Tags: Music, Oud Festival, Qeshm
Leave a Reply