MAHMOUD, Parvis

Being researched

MAHMOUD, Parvis. (Tehran, Iran- ). Parvis was son of the Iranian Azerbaijani politician Mahmoud Pahlavi, a famous Persian writer, researcher and politician. When the shad of Iran overthrew the government, Mahmoud changed his name to Mahmoud Mahmoud and Parvis became Parvis Mahmoud. (1) His father enrolled him in the University of Tehran to study political science, but his son refused to go. He received his education as a conductor in Brussels, Belgium, at the Royal Conservatory of Music where he was admitted by competition. With his violin, he earned a few dollars performing for a movie or social function. He was appointed by the Ministry of National Education to teach music and composition in the School of Music. The job only lasted six months when Parvis wrote letters to the newspaper criticizing the methods used. and founded the Tehran Symphony Orchestra.

In 1959 he moved to the United States and received his PhD from the University of Indiana. His dissertation was about the theory of Persian music and its relation to Western practice. (2)

Dr. Mahmoud re-established the symphony founded by Edward J. SCHROEDER. Mahmoud served as its only conductor and music director until the selection of Nicholas PALMER.

Mahmoud came to the UNIVERSITY OF DUBUQUE in 1957 as a professor of music. The university orchestra, featuring student musicians and many guest performers, was expanded into a community-based orchestra beginning with its first concert in February 1960, at the DUBUQUE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL auditorium. The symphony, under Mahmoud's direction, performed at CLARKE COLLEGE in Terence Donoghoe Hall, STEPHEN HEMPSTEAD HIGH SCHOOL, and in the gymnasium at the University of Dubuque. The first performance of the symphony at Five Flags Theater was in February 1976.

Mahmoud's works included:

    "Concerto for Violin & Orchestra"

    "String Quartet in E minor"

    "Persian Suite" for orchestra

    "Kurdish Fantasy" for piano and orchestra

    "Mehregan Suite" for orchestra

In 1972 in the auditorium of STEPHEN HEMPSTEAD HIGH SCHOOL the world premier of Mahmoud's Concerto for Violin and Orchestra was performed by his friend Vahe Djingheuzian, concertmaster for the Corpus Christi (Texas) Symphony, using his Stradivarius violin. The concerto, the first written by a Persian composer, was admittedly a difficult piece to learn and the fact that the two men had only one and a half rehearsals led to a fun disagreement between them. The violinist believed there was not enough time for more practice. Mahmoud, however, replied that they had the time, but not the money. Each rehearsal with the full orchestra cost $4,000. TH reviewer James Stolpa, a LORAS COLLEGE music instructor, commented, "It was at once a succession of beautiful melodies and a highly technical piece..." (3)

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Source:

1. Shipley, Florence, "The Man With Pizzazz," Telegraph Herald, September 26, 1971, p. 7

2. "Parvis Mahmoud," https://wikimili.com/en/Parviz_Mahmoud

3. Swenson, Jim, "'Bravo!' World Premiere Symphony Piece Drew Raves in 1972," Telegraph Herald, June 10, 2020, p. 1D