In their efforts to bring "the best Zarathushti musical talent” to the 12th World Zoroastrian Congress to be held in New York from July 1 to 4, 2022 the World Zoroastrian Symphony Orchestra is inviting participation from professional as well as advanced amateur musicians who have attained a sufficient level of proficiency. "We are inviting orchestral musicians to join us in this exciting endeavor to present the worldwide audience with an unforgettable evening of musical talent,” notes a press release from the Congress organizers.
Keeping in mind that during the Congress the Orchestra will have limited time for rehearsal, they would like to include only those with prior experience of playing with an orchestra. Those interested in joining are requested to submit an online application before April 1, 2021 for a virtual audition. The online application seeks details of a prospective participant’s name, address, phone, instrument he/she plays, number of years of practice, names of two major works in his/her repertoire, past/present association with an ensemble. An applicant further needs to upload a video of his/her performance or provide links to a performance that can be viewed online on public websites like Youtube, Vimeo, or other social media sites, or file sharing sites like dropbox or Google.
The pieces to be performed will be finalized after screening the recordings of all the applicants. Those whose participation is confirmed will be sent the music so that they can practice the music individually ahead of the group rehearsals on Zoom in the coming year to ensure a performance that will be "inspiring, memorable and awesome.”
Clockwise from above l: Piroozi Cooper-Wittlin;
Cyrus Mehta, Mahfrin Santoke and Jamshed Turel
The Congress Committee that can be reached by email on
orchestra@wzc2022.nyc has clarified at the outset that no financial assistance for travel or hotel accommodation will be provided to any participant although in exceptional cases they may suggest the name of a local Zoroastrian association that could help.
The four members who will be steering the World Zoroastrian Symphony Orchestra Committee (WZSOC) are Piroozi Cooper-Wittlin, Cyrus Mehta, Jamshed Turel and Mahfrin Santoke. Acceding to the Parsiana request, Behroze Clubwala who is co-chair of the Congress Zoroastrian Youth Participation Project sent a brief introduction to the WZSOC members:
Cooper-Wittlin is on the faculty of New York University where she teaches courses in Early Childhood Education. She is a professional oboist and English hornist and has been conducting the North American Zoroastrian Congress Orchestra for many years. Residing in New Jersey with her husband, she is a longtime member of the Zoroastrian Association of Greater New York, (ZAGNY).
An attorney in New York, Mehta is a serious amateur violinist who plays with the Broadway Bach Ensemble in New York and earlier organized and performed with Zoroastrian orchestras. As a longtime ZAGNY member he has been involved in its musical endeavors.
An accomplished violinist, educator, music director and composer, Turel is currently the head of the Music Program at Mohawk College in Hamilton, Canada. He has led orchestras and performed concerts across North America, Europe and Asia. A versatile artiste, he has produced albums with musicians around the world and has collaborated on several film and television shows.
A flute and piccolo player from Orange County, California, Santoke performs as a soloist and orchestra member. She was a soloist at the Seventh World Zoroastrian Youth Congress in Los Angeles in 2019. Passionate about music, she works as an elementary school instrumental music teacher.