Early Music Seattle and Seattle-Isfahan Sister City Advocacy Announce a Collaborative Celebration of Nowruz

Early Music Seattle and Seattle-Isfahan Sister City Advocacy (SISCA) are thrilled to announce a collaborative celebration of the ancient Persian festival of Nowruz on Sunday, March 23, 2025. SISCA will kick off the day’s events at Seattle City Hall with its 5th Annual Nowruz Celebration, a free, family-friendly festival from 12:00 to 5:00 PM supported by funding from the City of Seattle’s Neighborhood Matching Fund. The celebratory spirit will continue at Seattle’s Town Hall from 5:00 PM with Nowruz displays from SISCA ahead of Early Music Seattle’s featured performance by the Afro-Persian group, The Siriya Ensemble taking the stage at 7:30 PM.

Nowruz is a New Year Festival centered around the Spring Equinox that has been celebrated for over 3,000 years by over 300 million people in 13 countries. This 13- day celebration revolves around renewal, family gatherings, food, gifting, joy and dance.

Early Music Seattle’s mission is to enrich cultural heritage and its Beyond Baroque Festival is committed to an amplified definition of Early Music by elevating voices and ancient traditions from communities around the world. Since 2020, Early Music Seattle has reflected this commitment through an emphasis on the music of ancient Persia, with artists like Ronnie Malley, Mahan Esfahani, Layla Ramezan, and Lute Legends. Early Music Seattle was honored to collaborate with SISCA in 2024 with its presentation of Mahan Esfahani. and The opportunity to present The Siriya Ensemble during Nowruz made for the perfect opportunity to bring the two communities together once again.

SISCA is an organization of citizen volunteers from the greater Seattle Area who seek to elevate Persian culture, arts, music and traditions, creating space for and acting as a bridge to empower connections in the community.The natural synergy between the work that EMS and SISCA do lies in the common goal to showcase our rich cultural diversity and foster a sense of belonging for the Persia diaspora. SISCA’s Nowruz Celebration is a testament of collaboration, celebrating and highlighting the diverse tapestry of cultures that celebrate Nowruz. The opportunity to partner with Early Music Seattle is the next step in expanding community connections and bringing everyone together in a day filled with joy, celebration and tradition.

Early Music Seattle Executive Director Ludovica Punzi says, “Music is our tool to celebrate ancient traditions and amplify voices and cultures that defined the identity of many communities around the world. We are overjoyed to partner with SISCA to tell the shared story of Nowruz, one of the most celebrated and ancient traditions in the world. I am particularly grateful to our board member Babak Kiavchi for making this collaboration an ongoing reality.”

SISCA Board President Cathia Geller says, “It is an honor to partner with an organization that, like SISCA, seeks to expand the cultural horizons of our community and make space for all of us to be seen and heard, affirming our common humanity. Nowruz, the international celebration of Spring, is the perfect occasion and music is the universal language – I can’t think of a more beautiful way to bring people together!”

Finale Festival Nowruz Celebrations

Finale Festival

Beyond Baroque 
Variation IV

March 19–23, 2025

Our Final Festival brings the 2024–25 Beyond Baroque Festival season to a close with concerts and celebrations that will take you on a cultural journey from China, Persia, Palestine, and Italy. Featuring the return of the Twelfth Night Ensemble, Lute Legends, and a Nowruz Celebration with the Siriya Ensemble in collaboration with Seattle-Isfahan Sister City Advocacy (SISCA).