Explore the Festival
Resonance Collective
Resonance Collective exists to inspire and nurture the collective spirit of Los Angeles and beyond through the creation and performance of innovative and adventurous music. The organization's director, composer Fahad Siadat, creates storytelling works that explore the intersection of creative and religious practices, folding together words, sound, and movement into ritualistic narratives.
*Programming and artists subject to change, please refer to the participating organization’s calendar listing for the most up-to-date program.
Events
California Festival
Based on Sufi mystic poet Attar’s seminal text, The Conference of the Birds is a new, movement driven, a cappella oratorio about the journey of the soul as it seeks union with the Divine. Featured performances include Dr. Anne Harley in the role of the Hoopoe, as well as members of the new music vocal ensemble HEX.
Piece(s)/Composer(s)
THE CONFERENCE OF THE BIRDS, 2022
Fahad Siadat
Program Notes
The Conference of the Birds is told entirely through movement and a cappella song, with the oratorio composed by Fahad Siadat and a libretto by Sholeh Wolpé, directed/choreographed by André Megerdichian. Structured like nesting dolls, the story uses smaller tales and parables nestled within a larger narrative to advance the voyage of the birds. The result is an engaging and soul-lifting spiritual journey that not only illustrates the core tenets of the Sufi mystical path but also metaphorically addresses our 21st century spiritual and environmental woes. This project is an opportunity to explore further the relationship between musical principles and the ecstatic experience within Sufi spiritual practice, especially the experience of deindividuation—shedding of one’s ego—which is a core feature of a wayfarer’s path.
Media
