The 4th edition of Mugham Music Festival is currently underway in Tabriz.

According to The Iran Project,Mugham music artists from 18 cities nationwide are taking part in the festival, which will continue until February 23, the secretary of the event said on Tuesday.

In this edition, there are participants from eight provinces and 18 cities, including East Azarbaijan, West Azarbaijan, Ardabil, Zanjan, Hamedan, Tehran, Alborz, and Lorestan provinces, Gholamreza Mirzazadeh explained.

The highest number of participants is from East Azarbaijan, he added.

Out of the 347 works submitted to the event's secretariat, 134 have advanced to the final performance section, with 43 dedicated to singing and 91 focused on instrumental music, he mentioned. 

This festival stands out as one of the specialized music events, with a total of 50 judges entrusted with the expert evaluation across different categories, he highlighted. 

Mugham music is a traditional genre of music that originated in Azerbaijan and has deep roots in Persian culture. It is a complex and intricate form of music that is characterized by its emotional depth, improvisational nature, and intricate melodic patterns.

Mugham music is typically performed by a singer, known as a mugham singer, accompanied by musicians playing traditional instruments such as the tar, kamancheh, and balaban. The music is based on a series of scales, known as mughams, which serve as the foundation for the melodic improvisations and vocal ornamentations that are central to the genre.