TEHRAN: When Paniz Faryoussefi mounts the podium and reaches for her baton, she represents more than just the hope of a thrilling orchestral performance.

The eyes turned towards her in Tehran’s renowned Vahdat Hall include those of many young women musicians inspired by her taking her place as Iran’s first woman philharmonic conductor.

Women’s professional and cultural lives are still heavily restricted in Iran, particularly in terms of public performance before mixed-gender audiences.

Women, for example, are not allowed to sing solo in front of men.

But, as exemplified by 42-year-old Faryoussefi, they can now conduct an orchestra. “When I stepped onto the stage, I noticed that all eyes were on a woman conducting the orchestra, and I felt an immense responsibility,” she said after the performance.

In some Iranian cities, women musicians are not allowed to perform on stage, and even in the capital Tehran they cannot raise their voices in song in public.

Faryoussefi was born into an artistic family and her mother dreamed of her becoming a cheffe d’orchestre, but Iranian performing arts academies do not teach conducting.

She briefly attended classes in Armenia before returning to build a trailblazing career.

Dream taking root “Young women need to persevere and follow their dreams,” she said.

At the podium, she led the 50-strong orchestra through works by Austria’s Franz Schubert, Finland’s Jean Sibelius and Soviet-Armenian composer Aram Khachaturian.

“I hope this marks a new era for young Iranian women and that they will understand that... they should not be afraid,” she said. “It is the only gateway to emancipation.

“A friend saw a little girl in the audience mimicking my movements. He thought a dream was already taking root in her, that she was thinking she too could one day achieve the same thing.”

Published in Dawn, November 16th, 2025