On Music and Meaning — Interpretations of the Musical Art of Ostad Elahi Watch Video On Music & Meaning is a novel concert and conversation series inspired by the legacy of Ostad Elahi (1895–1974), thinker, jurist, and master musician, who understood music not simply as an aesthetic art form, but as a language capable of expressing states of the self and its search for meaning. At a time when communication around life’s deeper questions can feel constrained, his work points to music as a powerful pathway for addressing universal tensions: finding harmony in chaos, the search for purpose, and the evolving journey of the self. Building on this vision, the series invites listeners into an exploration of the questions at the heart of human experience. Through debut performances and on-stage conversations with composer-thinkers from diverse traditions, On Music & Meaning offers a rare platform for musicians to engage with Ostad Elahi’s legacy. It asks: how might 21st-century composers carry this pursuit forward, employing music to explore purpose, meaning, and transformation beyond the limits of language? In this sense, each concert becomes a meeting place of perspectives, where shared humanity is illuminated through sound. Opening concert June 3, 2026 Paul Hall · The Juilliard School · New York Featuring acclaimed double bassist Renaud Garcia-Fons and lutenist Claire Antonini. Hosted by John Schaefer, WNYC. Renaud Garcia-FonsDouble bass Bio Claire AntoniniLute Bio John SchaeferHost Bio Introduction by John-Morgan Bush, Dean of Juilliard Extension Interview of Renaud Garcia-Fons by John Schaefer, Host of New Sounds, WNYC Musical excerpt from concert at Juilliard's Paul Recital Hall Projection and set design by Camilla Tassi • Photography by Filip Wolak Note from the Artistic Director Ostad Elahi’s music can be understood not simply as an aesthetic art form, but as a language capable of expressing states of the self. While its beauty is unmistakable, beauty does not seem to be its final purpose. Rather, the music points toward something deeper: the search for meaning, the discovery of the world within, and the journey of the self that allows one to better understand the world without. One theme that emerges through this music is the suggestion that beneath the apparent disorder of daily existence there may be a hidden order waiting to be understood. Chaos is not the last word. Beneath the surface of life, beyond its wins and losses, its distractions and uncertainties, there may be a deeper coherence, a layer of meaning not immediately visible. In this sense, the music opens a space for reflection on the purpose of life, the finitude of human existence, and the possibility that every experience may carry significance. This music also reveals layers of the self: one’s relationship with oneself, one’s longings, weaknesses, hopes, and beyond that, one’s relationship with the Divine. It suggests that the spiritual journey does not necessarily alter the outward facts of life. The day-to-day may remain the same. What changes is the meaning one derives from events, the value one ascribes to them, and the purpose one begins to perceive within them. Daily life itself becomes a place of learning and self-discovery. Certain works make these ideas especially clear. In the Sahari Suite, what first appears free or unstable gradually discloses a deeper coherence, as though the music were revealing order within chaos. In Gol wa Khār (The Rose and the Thorn) beauty and difficulty become inseparable, suggesting that tension itself may lead to deeper insight. In Jelo Shāhi, one hears struggle, resolve, and the effort to rise above impulse. In Sheykh Amiri, the music turns inward toward humility, remorse, and hope. Together, these works suggest that every inner state can become an opportunity for learning and transformation. My own encounter with Ostad Elahi’s music and thought led me to hear these ideas not as abstractions, but as living realities within sound. The six movements that Claire and I present this evening are our attempt to share our own discovery and interpretation of this journey of the self: a journey expressed in universal states that all of us, in one way or another, traverse. — Renaud Garcia-Fons × Renaud Garcia-Fons is a French double bassist and composer, a major figure in the contemporary music scene. His creativity and innovation have revolutionized the art of the double bass, particularly through the addition of a fifth string and a unique technique blending pizzicato, bowing, and percussive effects. He is often nicknamed “the Paganini of the double bass” for his virtuosity and exceptional melodic sense. Among his iconic albums, Oriental Bass (1995) marks a turning point: inspired by Oriental music, especially the works of the Iranian tanbur master Ostad Elahi, this album fuses Mediterranean traditions, jazz, and improvisation. He pays tribute to Ostad Elahi and explores unprecedented sounds, as in the piece Voyage à Jeyhounabad. His project Cinematic Double Bass (2023) is another masterpiece, where he creates evocative soundscapes akin to imaginary film scores. Renaud Garcia-Fons has received numerous awards in France and abroad, including the prestigious Grand Prix SACEM du Jazz in 2021, recognizing his unique contribution to contemporary music. His albums Méditerranées and Farangi, as well as his collaborations with lutenist Claire Antonini and musicians from diverse backgrounds, demonstrate his ability to transcend musical boundaries, blending flamenco, Oriental music, and jazz. × Claire Antonini is a graduate of the Lyon Conservatoire (Conservatoire Supérieur de Musique de Lyon), and is recognized as one of the leading specialists in 17th-century French lute music, to which she has dedicated four recordings: Les luthistes français au XVIIe siècle (French Lutenists of the 17th Century); Manuscrit Vaudry de Saizenay (Vaudry de Saizenay Manuscript); Les accords nouveaux, Pierre Ballard 1638 (New Harmonies, Pierre Ballard 1638); and Les accords nouveaux, Pierre Ballard 1631 (New Harmonies, Pierre Ballard 1631). Beyond her focus on French music, she has also recorded the Œuvres pour luth (Works for Lute) by Johann Sebastian Bach. As a soloist, she performs regularly and also pursues a career as a continuo player, accompanying renowned artists such as Philippe Jaroussky, William Christie, Monique Zanetti, Isabelle Poulenard, and Marianne Muller. She frequently collaborates with various baroque orchestras, including Le Concert d’Astrée, Les Arts Florissants, Le Concert Spirituel, La Grande Écurie et la Chambre du Roy, and Les Accents. Additionally, she studied Persian traditional music under the guidance of the esteemed master Dariush Talaï and performs with Persian music ensembles. Her expertise in both early music and Persian traditional music has led her to explore other musical worlds, notably collaborating with Renaud Garcia-Fons on the duo album Farangi, du baroque à l’orient (Farangi, from Baroque to the Orient). × John Schaefer is the host and producer of the nightly music program Soundcheck on WNYC, New York Public Radio. He is also the creator of the long-running new music program New Sounds and its online home, newsounds.org. His program New Sounds has been public radio’s leading showcase for a new genre of music for over 35 years. Schaefer has also hosted Carnegie Hall Live, the Ojai Festival, and many other festivals and concert series. As producer of WNYC’s New Sounds Live, he has presented thousands of concerts and events in the New York area and around the world. Schaefer is the author of the books New Sounds: A Listener’s Guide to New Music, rewritten and reissued in its third edition by Da Capo Press; the award-winning Brasil Musical — a travelogue/road film with a companion CD about his travels through the Brazilian countryside in search of forgotten regional music styles; Cinematic Silence, a book-and-companion DVD about music for silent film; and The Gaucho Dance, a photo/poetry book about the tango and the Argentine people. His TV program About the Artist won a New York Emmy. He has written liner notes for countless CDs, and his most recent film documentary The Reach of Resonance won the Grand Jury Prize at the NYC Downtown Film Festival. Schaefer has been a juror for the Pulitzer Prize in Music since 2011 and teaches at the Bang On A Can Summer Music Festival.