Pouya Hamidi’s I Will Greet the Sun Again performed by Elizabeth Polese and Steven Philcox.
As part of the evening concert on Friday, August 1st at Walter Hall, the Toronto Summer Music Festival will present a new work from composer Pouya Hamidi, commissioned by Canadian Art Song Project.
I Will Greet the Sun Again is a song cycle that explores themes of night, family, and intimate love, tracing a journey from darkness to light through the poetry of four women writers from Iran and the Iranian diaspora.
premiere Pouya Hamidi’s song cycle
I Will Greet the Sun Again
These songs will be performed by CASP Co-Artistic Director and TSM’s Art of Song Program Director, pianist Steven Philcox alongside 2015 Academy alumna soprano Elizabeth Polese.
The cycle opens with Sareh Farmand’s Khaleh Parvin, a tender recollection of the poet’s beloved aunt. Their shared memories culminate in a lullaby that gently guides the listener into night. This is followed by Mehri Yalfani’s The Shadows, a vivid portrayal of the nocturnal world rich in atmosphere and imagery. The mood then shifts dramatically with Forugh Farrokhzad’s The Wind Will Blow Us Away, translated by Sholeh Wolpé—a tempestuous piece marked by rapid, swirling passages that evoke darkness before being transformed by intimate love. The cycle concludes with I Will Greet the Sun Again, another poem by Farrokhzad, also translated by Wolpé, offering hope and renewal as dawn breaks.
Get tickets for this concert at the Toronto Summer Music website.