The musical traditions of Persia, among the oldest in the world, find new expression in the presentation A Persian Night with Vancouver Opera Orchestra at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre next Saturday (January 6). The concert features an ensemble of 65 musicians, with conductor-pianist Shardad Rohani (shown here), vocalist Alireza Ghorbani, violinist Puya Firouzbakhsh, kamanchech-player Ardeshir Kamkar, tar-player Alborz Rahmani, oud-player Ali Sajjadi, santoor-player Saina Khaledi, and percussionist Hamin Honari on daf and tonbak. The works by five contemporary Iranian composers include the world premiere of a symphonic poem by Kambiz Roshan Ravan.