Of Nature and the Cosmos—April in Santa Cruz

Join acclaimed Iranian virtuosi Siamak Barghi (kamancheh, tombak), and Arya Tavallaei (santour); Stanford University’s celebrated guzheng master Hui You; and San Francisco’s Del Sol Quartet (“excavations of beauty from the elemental”—New York Times) for an intrepid concert that explores nature, the cosmos, the “deep acoustics” of musical harmony, and an exchange of imagination and inspiration among Iranian, Chinese, and European improvisation practices. Featuring the music of Iranian composer Nina Barzegar (“each [Barzegar’s music] slid into … mellifluous melody … heedless-sounding glissandos, you wondered if the center would hold. But Barzegar’s compositional command kept it together.”—New York Times), icon of Central California experimentalism, Ben Johnston, and well-known Santa Cruz composers Ben Dorfan, Christopher Pierandozzi Everingham, and Jinwei Sun.

This event is presented as part of the April in Santa Cruz Festival of Creative Music.
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ADMISSION
– Free and open to the public per advance registration only
– Attend in-person at the Music Center Performance Studio 131 at UC Santa Cruz
– Registration required via Eventbrite due to limited seating
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PARKING
– Arts Lot #126 is the closest parking lot to the event.
– $5 ParkMobile Arts Special Event flat rate; cash/credit via parking attendant when present in the lot; or by valid UCSC permit.
– Before arriving to UCSC, we recommend downloading the ParkMobile App on Google Play or Apple App Store and setting up a profile with license plate and payment information.
– Visitors with DMV placards or plates may park for free in DMV spaces, Medical spaces, or ParkMobile spaces without additional payment, or in timed zones for longer than the posted time.
– UCSC affiliates must get their permits in advance; attendants will only sell non-affiliate rates
– More information provided by UCSC Transportation & Parking Services.
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FULL SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
– This year’s festival includes seven events between April 15 and May 21, 2026
– Additional April in Santa Cruz events and information at aprilsc.ucsc.edu
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OF NATURE AND THE COSMOS
SAN FRANCISCO’S DEL SOL QUARTET WITH IRANIAN AND CHINESE VIRTUOSOS

image: photo of Del Sol Quarter by photographer RJ.Muna
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This program is open to all members of the public consistent with state and federal law.