TEHRAN – For the first time in Iran, a special concert of music from the Harry Potter films was held at the Espinas Palace Hotel in Tehran on Saturday night, with more than 6,000 people in attendance in two performances.

Due to the huge reception by the audience, it was extended for two more performances, which will be held next Saturday, ILNA reported.

The Harry Potter film concert is a unique and immersive experience that combines the magic of film with the enchanting power of live music.

It features the most memorable and key scenes from the eight beloved Harry Potter films projected on a giant screen while a live symphony orchestra performs the unforgettable score composed by the legendary John Williams and later by Patrick Doyle, Nicholas Hooper, and Alexandre Desplat.

Audiences of all ages can relive the adventures of Harry, Ron, and Hermione in a whole new way, as the live music adds a new dimension to the beloved story.

The orchestra was conducted by Sina Kheirabadi, conductor and lecturer at Tehran University of Art and Music Conservatory, and comprised more than 100 musicians and a choir.

The show, which had previously been performed in 37 countries around the world, made Iran the 38th destination for this musical-cinematic experience.

An hour before the show began, fans were dressed in Hogwarts uniforms: black robes with the insignia of the four Houses, scarves in the red and gold of Gryffindor, yellow and black of Hufflepuff, blue and silver of Ravenclaw, and green and silver of Slytherin.

The program began with the iconic “Hedwig’s Theme” by John Williams. The melody, reminiscent of Harry’s first moments in the wizarding world, was perfectly synchronized with the on-screen images of “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone,” and evoked a wave of emotions. The delicate notes of the violins and the grandeur of the wind instruments seemed to transport the audience from Tehran to Diagon Alley and the Great Hall of Hogwarts.

Each piece, from John Williams’s works in the first three films to the emotional melodies of Patrick Doyle in “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,” Nicholas Hooper in “Order of the Phoenix,” and Alexandre Desplat in “Deathly Hallows,” was played live and in sync with the relevant sequences.

The epic battle of Hogwarts sequences in “Deathly Hallows – Part 2” culminated in a live performance of Desplat’s “Statues” and “Courtyard Apocalypse.”

At the moment of the Patronus Charm in “Prisoner of Azkaban,” the sound of the choir and string instruments made Harry’s silver stag look so real that a wave of applause and excited shouts echoed in the hall.

The performance of the piece “Obliviate” along with the sequence of Harry, Hermione, and Ron escaping from the Death Eaters took the audience to the tense and emotional atmosphere of “Deathly Hallows.”

Patrick Doyle’s melodies in “Goblet of Fire” with their energetic and dramatic rhythms revived the sense of competition and danger. Nicholas Hooper’s music in “Order of the Phoenix” with its darker and deeper themes reflected the atmosphere of the fight against darkness well.

Finally, Alexandre Desplat’s works in “Deathly Hallows” with their emotional depth and rhythmic variety brought the story to its epic and emotional climax.

Harry Potter is a film series based on the Harry Potter series of novels by J. K. Rowling. They chronicle the lives of a young wizard, Harry Potter, and his friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The main story arc concerns Harry's conflict with Lord Voldemort, a dark wizard who intends to become immortal, overthrow the wizarding governing body known as the Ministry of Magic, and subjugate all wizards and Muggles (non-magical people).

As of February 2023, the books have sold more than 600 million copies worldwide, making them the best-selling book series in history, available in dozens of languages.

SS/SAB