Alireza Farhang is a Franco-Iranian composer, born in Tehran into a family of musicians. He has been the founder and artistic director of the Nice International Music Festival and Academy (NIMFA) since its inception in 2023. He tells us more about this festival which will be held from April 29 to May 4, 2025, from the Francis Gag Theater to the Nice Conservatory. Interview.
What is the Nice International Music Festival and Academy (NIMFA)?
Alireza Farhang: “The very first edition took place in 2023, with an academy that worked remotely for six months on eight pieces. It was a true professional production just like today’s. The main structure is the festival, and the team working on it also aims at other skills, especially concerning the musicians.
What are the must-see moments this year?
What makes the festival special is the organic collaboration with a new ensemble based in Nice, called Ensemble Mathis. It is another structure we created with musicians from the Nice Conservatory and the Nice Opera. We created this ensemble precisely to complete the musical creation ecosystem of Nice. These are the two pillars of the festival. The highlight lasts throughout the festival. We have six concerts and conclude with the Ensemble Mathis: it is the climax of the festival. But it’s complicated to choose; as an artistic director, they are all important. There will also be oboists, with seven members of the woodwind family, which is quite rare, as well as four pieces composed especially for the festival. Students from the Nice Opera play with digital instruments: a whole orchestra is gathered, which makes the event unique.
What is the main goal and what are the values of NIMFA?
The festival’s closing will be themed around the ocean, in line with the Ocean Summit taking place in Nice next June. There is a piece called Fox Baleina, by an American composer, George Kunt, from 1977: it is created with the voice of whales. There are also three others. The main theme is water and the ocean. I don’t want to say these pieces support a cause, as it is above all an artistic work. But the intention is to highlight this theme: it can be seen and heard in their music.
Is the event based on a single theme?
No, there are others. For example, on the first day, a Swiss ensemble presents a piece that uses water basins to alter woodwind instruments: pipes submerged in the basin generate real aquatic sounds. This work was written several years ago. Throughout the four days, we explore other subjects, always with music as the listening channel.
How many countries are represented this year and why this plurality?
A cause we defend is cultural diversity: I place great importance on it. We have Berber, American, Mexican nationalities, participants from the Academy of Iran, Norwegians, Poles, and of course, French composers.
Is the event accessible to everyone?
The first two concerts are paid, but we have considered students and those facing economic or financial difficulties. Reduced rates of 3 € are offered to students. The events are open to everyone: there are no social classes or elites. We want this music to be democratized everywhere, for people to demystify classical music. I encourage everyone to come, from ages 3 to 90.
What repertoire, from the post-war period to today, is highlighted this year?
There are new creations, meaning they have never been composed, created, and heard before this festival. There are also pieces written in 1977. But there is an articulation between old and current music. For example, I do not exclude a rock piece, featured on May 3, although inspired by the 16th–17th century. Some pieces like this fit very well with the repertoire. We do not close the door to ancient music, even though the main focus remains on today’s music.”
For more information on the Nice International Music Festival and Academy, here is the program.
