Anja Lechner, along with François Couturier – a veteran French pianist, previously performed concerts with the Tarkovsky Quartet during the 28th Fajr International Music Festival in Tehran in February 2013 and she also joined Armenian pianist Artur Avanesov in February 2014 to perform Garden II composed by Hushyar Khayyam in Tehran.

The following is an excerpt of an interview with the German musician translated by Iran Front Page:

Ms. Lechner, have you had a good time in Iran?

I must answer your question in one word: absolutely. Its attractiveness has made me travel to Tehran for a third time. During my trips to Iran, I have found it easy to establish a bond with the local culture and traditions. If I research my genealogy, I might come across my Eastern stock.

Were you satisfied with your two performances at Niavaran Cultural Center?

First of all, I found it unusual to stage solo performances for two nights in a row; it’s uncommon even in places where there is a mass audience. All tickets were sold out for the two solo performances, something which I had never experienced throughout my musical career. It struck me as unusual. To me, it’s one of the reasons why I consider performing in Iran appealing.

Anja Lechner in Tehran – April 2015 (Photo: Ali Tajik) Anja Lechner in Tehran – April 2015 (Photo: Ali Tajik) Anja Lechner in Tehran – April 2015 (Photo: Ali Tajik) Anja Lechner in Tehran – April 2015 (Photo: Ali Tajik)

How was your performance received?

What was more important than the packed house was the way the audience formed a bond with us. That how much listeners concentrate on the quality of performance or digest the music in a heartfelt manner differs from audience to audience. For instance, I have not seen it much in Germany or other countries. People there might have considerable knowledge of previous works, but they listen to music, relying more on their prior knowledge than listening to the music. Musicians do not experience what happens in Iran very often; particularly in my case, because I opted for pieces which had not been heard much.

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Sources: Iran Front Page | Interviews, musicboard.ir | Anja Lechner Apr. 2015 (Photos: Ali Tajik), Mehr News Agency | News, Honaronline.ir | Anja Lechner at Niavaran 2015 (in Persian), Honaronline interview with Anja Lechner (in Persian)