COVID-19: In Iran, isolated musicians perform from rooftops

On the rooftop terrace of her Tehran apartment building, 28-year-old Mojgan Hosseini's (above) fingers pluck the strings of her qanun, an ancient stringed instrument, bringing life to an Iranian capital stilled by the coronavirus. "Since COVID-19 hit Tehran, the rooftop terrace of my apartment has become my stage to perform and my neighbours have became my main audience these days," she said.

With performance halls closed and many isolated in their homes as a result of the Mideast's worst virus outbreak, Hosseini and other Iranian musicians now find performance spaces where they can. That includes rooftops dotted with water tanks and littered with debris, empty front porches and opened apartment windows. | Above: Musician Shiva Abedi, 30, plays kamancheh on the roof of her home.

Their music floats down on others stuck in their homes, fearful of the COVID-19 illness the virus brings. Their impromptu concerts draw applause and offer hope to their listeners, even as public performances still draw hard-line scrutiny in the Islamic Republic. | Above: Musician Yasamin Koozehgar, 22, plays cello on the roof of her home, in Tehran.

"We're not front-line medical workers, hospital custodians, or grocery workers, but I think many musicians — myself included — have felt an obligation to offer our services of comfort and entertainment in these trying times," said Arif Mirbaghi (above), who plays the double bass in his front yard.

Among those taking to the rooftops is 36-year-old composer and tar player Midya Farajnejad (above). A tar is a long-necked stringed instrument. "It is not easy for me to stay at home and not be on stage or in studio during quarantine, so I ... play tar on the roof, to share my emotions with the neighbors," Farajnejad said during a lull in one of his recent sessions.

Others, like 26-year-old accordion player Kaveh Ghafari (above), agree. "During these quarantine days, the only place that I feel I can share my music is in my yard with my neighbors as my main audience," he said. "These days I can feel the power of art more than ever."

Mohammad Maleklee, 23, of the National Orchestra of Iran and Tehran Symphony, plays saxophone in his window, in Tehran.

Behnam Emran, a 28 year-old self-taught musician, plays accordion on the roof of his home, in Tehran.

Musician Farideh Sarsangi, 28, plays drums on the roof of her home, in Tehran.

Behrad Soukhakian, a member of the National Orchestra of Iran and Tehran Symphony, 37, plays violin on the roof of his home, in Tehran.