Last testament (2020) - ca. 8'

for soprano, bassoon, and electronics

*Commissioned by Pushback Collective

Premiere: 

Pushback Ensemble, Ben Roidl-Ward (bassoon) and Ally Smither (soprano)

Thursday, May 27, 2021, Blaffer Art Museum, Houston, TX

Program Notes:

This piece is based on Navid Afkari’s last words before his execution. Navid was an Iranian wrestler who was convicted because he took a part in the political demonstrations in 2019 in Iran. He was brutally tortured to give a false confession and he was later executed in Adel-Abad prison in Shiraz. The security forces buried him secretly at night and they did not allow his family to have a funeral. It is not uncommon for the Islamic republic to tortures and execute those how have committed any political activities against the regime. This process has been used since the beginning of the Islamic republic to remove political dissidents. My goal is to raise more awareness about the crimes against humanity that the Islamic republic has done during last couple of decades. 

In memory of Navid!