Private sector orchestras in Iran have long sought to draw audiences into concert halls through creative and original programming. With the flexibility that instrumental and orchestral music allows, many ensembles aim to offer listeners fresh auditory experiences. One such group, the Navaye Aftab Orchestra, which began its activities in 2023 (1402), presented a selection of iconic film music from around the world at Milad Tower on June 21, 2025. But did the performance meet the expectations of music-loving audiences? This review explores that question in depth.

The concert began with producer Jaber Majedi taking the stage as host. Oud player Mohammadreza Aghaei, who also arranged some of the night’s pieces, followed with an anecdote about his broken instrument and invited its craftsman on stage to thank him — a gesture whose relevance at the concert’s opening was unclear. These opening stories and acknowledgments took up about 5 to 10 minutes of performance time.

Amin Salemi, the conductor, then led a diverse ensemble including four percussionists (drums to cajón), flutes, saxophone, harmonica, piano, bass guitar, two acoustic guitars, as well as Persian instruments such as qanun, santur, tar, and oud. A notable and questionable aspect of the orchestration was the presence of both cajón and drum set — a redundant combination where the latter overshadowed the former, rendering the cajón largely ornamental throughout the performance.

The program featured nostalgic themes by Ennio Morricone, Hans Zimmer, Vangelis, Nino Rota, and music from Iranian films such as Kamal-ol-Molk and Qeysar. The arrangements — by Aghaei, Firouz Veysanaloo, and Salemi — were extremely basic, resembling student-level orchestrations that merely introduced the main themes in the simplest forms. The harmonies and chords often strayed from the original compositions, weakening the musical impact.

For instance, the descending bass line that adds drama to Pirates of the Caribbean was entirely missing. In the Charlie Chaplin theme, the percussion could’ve been replicated by a cheap keyboard’s preset rhythm — a sign that the arrangers failed to leverage their available resources creatively. The instrumentation also raised concerns; the use of multiple traditional Persian instruments in a Western film score setting felt unjustified. Doubling the harmonica and qanun for The Godfather theme, instead of evoking Italian nostalgia, gave off an Arabic or Andalusian vibe — a mismatch that highlighted poor stylistic choices.

At the concert’s start, host Majedi told the audience, “In music, there’s a term called ‘plug in the flowerpot’,” referring to playback (lip-synced or pre-recorded performances) and promised this concert would be fully live. While no musicians were “plugged in,” one might say the conductor was in the flowerpot — his presence had virtually no effect on the performance. The arrangements were so simple and rhythmically transparent (especially with four percussionists) that Salemi’s only possible contribution was giving a count-off, which he ironically took from the drummer instead.

The most jarring issue, however, came during the final 30 minutes, when the concert transformed into a lighthearted celebrity gathering. To fill time, the host returned and brought out numerous celebrities. The atmosphere drifted so far from a musical performance that he even asked Mohammad Bahrani to speak in his famous puppet voices “Jenab Khan” and “Bababi.” For those who paid up to 1 million tomans expecting 90 minutes of cinematic music, this detour felt like a disrespectful bait-and-switch. At the very least, the concert poster should have indicated that the program would include awards, shout-outs, and casual chit-chat.