Crack of Dawn

Bahar Movahed

presents

BAHAR MOVAHED

Crack of Dawn

Composed by

Navid Dehghan

Lyrics by

Houshang Ebtehaj

Directed by

Niloofar Zabihi

 

April 30, 2026 - 11AM PDT 

“Crack of Dawn” holds a deeply personal place within my new album, Together Yet Alone. Inspired by the poetry of Sayeh (Houshang Ebtehaj), it reflects the long, quiet passage through darkness, the kind that lingers not only in the world around us, but within the heart. It is about waiting, enduring, and holding onto a light that reveals itself slowly, gently, and with meaning.

This piece was created in collaboration with composer Navid Dehghan, an artistic journey rooted in our shared love for Iranian classical music and Persian poetry. This collaboration has been more than a musical project; it has been a meaningful return to our roots, to a tradition that continues to live within us. Though our roots are in Iran, this music cannot be released there due to the prohibition of women’s singing in public. When sharing this work within Iran is not possible, we are grateful to let it find its voice from afar, across the United States and beyond.

“Crack of Dawn” carries more than a personal story; it reflects the story of our people and our country. The light does not fade; it is carried, even across distance. And just as dawn follows the longest night, there remains a quiet belief that Iran, too, will see its light return.

— Bahar Movahed

Order Bahar Movahed’s forthcoming album
TOGETHER YET ALONE

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About Bahar Movahed

Bahar Movahed is a Persian classical vocalist whose work bridges art and science. Born in Tehran and now based in California, she was raised by a surgeon father and artist mother, fostering both disciplines early on. She began with piano before dedicating herself to Persian classical music, studying tanbur with Seyed Amrollah Shah Ebrahimi and tar with Keyvan Saket and Mohamad Reza Ebrahimi. In 1998, she began vocal training with Parissa, later continuing with masters including Shahram Nazeri, Hamid Reza Nourbakhsh, and Mohammad Reza Shajarian.

Restricted in Iran from solo singing, she immigrated to the United States in 2010 to pursue artistic freedom. Her 2012 debut album, Goblet of Eternal Light, with Ali Akbar Moradi, received critical acclaim.

Movahed has since performed widely across the U.S. Her latest work, Together Yet Alone, reflects her journey, giving voice to resilience, identity, and the enduring power of artistic expression.

Discover Bahar Movahed

 

About Navid Dehghan

Navid Dehghan is an Iranian composer, musician, and poet. He was trained under Saeed Farajpouri and grew within the musical school of the legendary maestro Parviz Meshkatian, one of the great icons of Persian classical music. By the age of sixteen, he had already won first prize -- three times -- in Iran’s only national music festival for kamancheh performance, and at sixteen he joined Aref Ensemble, the most renowned and influential Persian classical music group of its time.

At nineteen, he released his first solo kamancheh album, Khamooshaneh (“Silently”), and began recording his early compositions, works conceived during his teenage years. One of these, Sabz-e Javidan (“The Everlasting Green”), was later released in 2006.

At twenty-three, he founded the Ghamar Ensemble, which has since become one of Iran’s most established and respected groups in Persian classical music, with an extensive history of concerts and acclaimed collaborations with premier vocalists such as Shahram Nazeri, Salar Aghili and Hamidreza Nourbakhsh. Throughout his career, Dehghan has been honored with three major national awards: the Barbad Award, the Musice Ma Award, and the Iranian House of Music Award, all recognizing him as Composer of the Year.

Together Yet Alone is his latest work with the Ghamar Ensemble, the groundbreaking new project from the distinguished Iranian vocalist Bahar Movahed. Composed in Rast-Panjgah -- the most intricate and challenging mode in Persian classical music -- this work stands as the culmination of Dehghan’s musical experience and artistic vision.