Reading the poetry with a live piano performance of the Divine Sonata

Travel from the depths of human darkness to the fragile dawn of peace. Join composer and pianist Arashk Azizi for an intimate, multidisciplinary performance that intertwines monumental literature with contemporary classical music.

In this evocative evening, Azizi will read selections from Dante Alighieri's masterpiece, using the celebrated, poetic English translation by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Alternating with and underscoring the spoken word, Azizi will perform parts of his own Divine Sonata; a three-movement solo piano work originally commissioned for the Dante Festival in Ravenna, Italy, and premiered steps from the poet’s tomb.

This performance breathes new life into a medieval allegory, transforming it into a mirror for the 21st century. Through a striking tonal journey from the chaotic despair of C minor to the luminous clarity of A major, the music reinterprets Dante's realms: Inferno becomes the modern hell of war and systemic oppression; Purgatorio manifests as a restless, turbulent longing for change; and Paradiso emerges not as a religious myth, but as a quiet, hard-won sanctuary of human peace. Experience a profound, modern meditation on the collective journey of the human soul, told through the raw power of voice and piano.

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