Join us for music by Sourena Sefati, santour, and Andres Ramirez, percussion
FREE ADMISSION. Advance registration encouraged for speedy check-in. Registration form below.
Gates open at 6 PM. Music at 7 PM.
This summer, the heart of the School for Advanced Research's campus turns into an outdoor cocktail lounge and live music venue for Music at Dusk. these special evenings invite you to relax in a beautiful setting, stroll the grounds, and experience live traditional music from around the world. Cocktails, beer, wine, and zero-proof beverages will be available for purchase from As Above So Below Distillery. Oaxaca-inspired charcuterie and cheese boards will be available for purchase from Oaxaca Mi Amour. Join us for a fun and festive mix of sound, setting, and storytelling.
Sourena Sefati is a santour (Iranian hammered dulcimer) player, composer, and educator whose work bridges Persian classical music with contemporary composition. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Iranian music from the University of Tehran, a Master’s in Music Performance from the University of Art, Tehran, and a Master’s in Theory and Composition from the University of New Mexico.
The santour—a traditional Persian hammered dulcimer—is played with light wooden mallets to produce shimmering, expressive tones. Trained by Maestro Ardavan Kamkar, Sefati has developed a distinctive voice on the instrument, while also studying composition and orchestration with notable mentors such as Kambiz Roshanravan, Alireza Mashayekhi, and Peter Gilbert.
From 2006 to 2013, Sefati taught Persian music (radif), orchestration, and stage performance at the University of Art in Tehran. He has performed at international festivals—World of Music, Arts, and Dance (U.K), National Council for the Traditional Arts (U.S) Festival Chords Music, and Forte Music Festival—and major U.S. stages including Joe’s Pub in New York.
A versatile drummer from Guadalajara, Mexico, Andres Ramirez began his career at 16 touring with ’90s regional Mexican bands and working as a session musician for Grupo Televisa. Trained at the UDG Conservatory of Music, he later moved to the U.S. to expand his musical horizons, studying with masters such as Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez and Dave Weckl. He is currently collaborating with various artists and developing his solo album Ohuaya, inspired by his Indigenous roots and life experiences.