Aftab Darvishi : Likoo

Commissioned by Anne-Sophie Mutter and premiered at Carnegie Hall in April 2025, Likoo is a profound exploration of Iranian heritage through the voice of the solo violin. The work is named after a specific musical form from the province of Baluchestan in southeastern Iran—a genre traditionally used to express deep-seated grief and the yearning for those far away.

Mutter characterizes the work as a “song of mourning,” a musical meditation on the cycle of life and the inevitability of loss. To capture this emotional weight, Darvishi utilizes incredibly slow glissandos, connecting notes with a fluid, sigh-like quality that blurs the lines between traditional Eastern mugham and contemporary Western performance. This striking synthesis of cultures also serves as the opening statement for Mutter’s acclaimed 2026 recording, East Meets West.

Program:

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Adagio & Allegro in F minor KV 594

André Previn
Violin Concerto No. 2 with two cembalo interludes

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Violin Concerto No. 1 B flat major KV 207

Aftab Darvishi
Likoo

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Violin Concerto No. 5 in A major KV 219