A collaboration between Parham Haghighi (Iran) and Matti Kovler (Israel), Birds of Passage explores the surprising links between Persian and Jewish folklore. These ties are manifest in traditional artistic song: from traditional Persian music to poetic texts by Rumi and Hafez to Hassidic Nigguns.

The underlying theme of bird song relates both to the music and to Parham and Matti’s individual stories. Birds of Passage captures the heartbreak and hope of migrants and displaced people in a world where the scale of human migration surpasses any level the planet has ever known.

The performance is also a unique artistic tribute to the work of two outstanding composers of the 20th century, who adapted and synthesized traditional folk materials with art music: Morteza Neydavood and Andre Hajdu.