Beyond Baroque: A season of festivals!

Beyond Baroque Variation IV

Our Final Festival brings the 2024–25 Beyond Baroque Festival season to a close with concerts and celebrations that will take you on a cultural journey from China, Persia, Palestine, and Italy. Featuring the return of the Twelfth Night Ensemble, Lute Legends, and a Nowruz Celebration with the Siriya Ensemble in collaboration with Seattle-Isfahan Sister City Advocacy (SISCA).

Festival Lineup

March 23, 2025

Nowruz at Seattle City Hall

In Collaboration with Peyvand NPO & Seattle-Isfahan Sister City Advocacy (SISCA)

Mesmerizing music, dances, art exhibitions, hands-on demos, children’s activities, and more!

12:00 PM

Early Music Seattle and Seattle-Isfahan Sister City Advocacy (SISCA) are thrilled to announce a collaborative celebration of the ancient Persian festival of Nowruz on Sunday, March 23, 2025. SISCA will kick off the day’s events at Seattle City Hall with its 5th Annual Nowruz Celebration, a free, family-friendly festival from 12:00 to 5:00 PM supported by funding from the City of Seattle’s Neighborhood Matching Fund. The celebratory spirit will continue at Seattle’s Town Hall from 5:00 PM with Nowruz displays from SISCA ahead of Early Music Seattle’s featured performance by the Afro-Persian group, The Siriya Ensemble taking the stage at 7:30 PM.

City Hall - 600 4th Ave, Seattle, WA 98104

The Siriya Ensemble

Nowruz Celebration – Persian New Year

7:30 PM

In Collaboration with Peyvand NPO & Seattle-Isfahan Sister City Advocacy (SISCA)

Afro-Persian group, The Siriya Ensemble, is a band from Bushehr, in the south of Iran. It was formed in 2016 by local musicians from Bushehr who focused on incorporating traditional southern Iranian music into their performances. Being close to the Persian gulf, Southern Iranian music is influenced by African music.

Over time, the group evolved and went through changes, particularly around 2017, when new members such as Mohammad Laryan, Behrouz Sharifian, and Mehdi Monfared joined the ensemble. This marked a turning point for them as they began to develop a distinctive style that blended folk and contemporary music elements, creating a unique fusion that reflects the rich cultural heritage of Bushehr.

Their most notable album: A Table for Two, won the Silver Medal at the Global Music Awards. It includes a compilation of Afro-Persian folk music with contributions from various members of the group.

Town Hall Seattle - 1119 8th Ave, Seattle, WA 98101

Finale Festival Pass

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Date: March 12 - 23, 2025