In October 2005, Monika Jalili and NoorSaaz filed on to the stage at Trinity Church and straight into Trinity history. Their concert of music from pre-revolutionary Iran has been viewed via trinitywallstreet.org more than 300,000 times since last October, making it one of the most heavily trafficked features ever presented on Trinity’s website.
“It has been the most amazing year,” Jalili said, “basically due to that concert at Trinity.”
Jalili and NoorSaaz return to Trinity on Thursday, October 5 as part of the Concerts at One series.
Following the concert, the band received emails from all over the world, but particularly from Iranians both in and outside of Iran.
“It was really emotional,” she said. “We rekindled all kinds of memories for them.”
Jalili was first introduced to the music of Iran by her Iranian husband’s family. An accomplished professional musician, Jalili had already found an interest in traditional Persian folk music. But riding in the car with her father-in-law one day, he played her the popular pre-revolutionary song Jaane Maryam, telling Jalili, ‘I can hear you singing this.’

“It opened a door to a whole genre of music I could relate to,” Jalili recalled.
The Iranian music Monika Jalili and NoorSaaz perform, said Trinity Concerts director Earl Tucker, “is about nostalgia and hope. Nostalgia for what was, hope for what is continuing and evolving [in Iran].”
“The poetry and beauty of the music touched me,” Jalili said, “I thought, ‘I just have to do this.’”
But she couldn’t do it alone. She founded NoorSaaz – made up of violinist Megan Weeder, percussionist Timothy Quigley, oudist Mavrothis Kontansis and guitarist Nathan Dillon – a year and half ago to help bring these songs to life in a new way.
“We’ve spent a lot of time making something of our own, keeping true to the music and the lyrics,” she said.
Jalili translates some lyrics into English and French, in order to “make it accessible to people who don’t speak Persian.”
Jalili’s passion for her work comes through clearly when she speaks about NoorSaaz, their fans and, certainly, the music.
“This is,” she said, “the best thing I’ve ever done with music in my life.”
“It has been the most amazing year,” Jalili said, “basically due to that concert at Trinity.”
Jalili and NoorSaaz return to Trinity on Thursday, October 5 as part of the Concerts at One series.
Following the concert, the band received emails from all over the world, but particularly from Iranians both in and outside of Iran.
“It was really emotional,” she said. “We rekindled all kinds of memories for them.”
Jalili was first introduced to the music of Iran by her Iranian husband’s family. An accomplished professional musician, Jalili had already found an interest in traditional Persian folk music. But riding in the car with her father-in-law one day, he played her the popular pre-revolutionary song Jaane Maryam, telling Jalili, ‘I can hear you singing this.’

“It opened a door to a whole genre of music I could relate to,” Jalili recalled.
The Iranian music Monika Jalili and NoorSaaz perform, said Trinity Concerts director Earl Tucker, “is about nostalgia and hope. Nostalgia for what was, hope for what is continuing and evolving [in Iran].”
“The poetry and beauty of the music touched me,” Jalili said, “I thought, ‘I just have to do this.’”
But she couldn’t do it alone. She founded NoorSaaz – made up of violinist Megan Weeder, percussionist Timothy Quigley, oudist Mavrothis Kontansis and guitarist Nathan Dillon – a year and half ago to help bring these songs to life in a new way.
“We’ve spent a lot of time making something of our own, keeping true to the music and the lyrics,” she said.
Jalili translates some lyrics into English and French, in order to “make it accessible to people who don’t speak Persian.”
Jalili’s passion for her work comes through clearly when she speaks about NoorSaaz, their fans and, certainly, the music.
“This is,” she said, “the best thing I’ve ever done with music in my life.”


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