# Hiwa Seyfizade

Hiwa Seyfizade (born November 5, 1997, in Tehran) is an Iranian classical music singer, Tombak player, theater actor and music teacher from Iran.

## Artistic Life

Hiwa Seyfizade was born on November 5, 1997, in Tehran. She started learning Iranian classical singing from [[Masoumeh Mehrali]] in 2009. He also learned Tombak playing from Mehdi Esfahani, Iranian music theory from Arjang Seifyzadeh, and Iranian music compositions from Saarang Seifyzadeh.
In 2014, she participated in Navaye-Khorram Music Festival and was one of the winners of this festival. This festival was stopped due to the restriction of women's voices.
She was a member of the Rastak group led by Siamak Sepehri in 2021 and 2022 and went on stage with this group in Sulaymaniyah and Erbil.
She also went on stage in Vahdat Hall in 2015 with the collaboration of "Avaye-Mehrabani" music group. And in 2016, She performed in Vahdat Hall (Roudaki Hall) in cooperation with "Moje No" music group, composed by Ali ghamsari and conducted by Pouya Sarabi.
She also participated in the Tirgan Festival of Canada in 2021
In 2022, she appeared on the stage as a concert-play actor in the play "Cafe Asheghi (Love Cafe)" written and directed by Seyed Jalaledin Dorri and composed by Peyman Khazeni in the Niavaran Culture Hall and Shahrzad Theater Campus in Tehran, where she performed acting and singing. and in this guise, in 2023, She collaborated with the concert-show "Nakoja-Abaad" written by Mahmoud Tavasoliyan and directed by Sepideh Sabagh and composed by Peyman Khazeni, and went on stage in the Malek Theater Hall. Of course, her appearance in this show did not continue until the end of the performance, and a week after the show started, she published a notice on her Instagram social network and announced the termination of cooperation with this show. and In the following nights of the show, the second female singer of the show, Zohreh Firouzi, performed her role as "Parichehr".
In January 2024, she was present as a speaker at the 20th International Creative Mornings event in Tehran with the global theme of "Rise" and gave a speech about her career and life

## Education

She is a graduate of industrial engineering.

## Arrest of Hiwa Seyfizade

On February 27, 2025, Hiwa Seyfizade was arrested by security forces during a live performance at Emarat Rooberoo Hall in Tehran. The concert, which had reportedly received prior authorization, was interrupted when security personnel, including female officers, raided the venue and detained Seyfizade in front of the audience. The event was attended by both men and women. Following the arrest, the venue announced its closure until further notice, and Seyfizade was taken to an undisclosed location.

### Reasons for Arrest

The Iranian authorities have not issued a formal statement clarifying the reasons for Seyfizade's arrest. However, state media alleged that she was detained for organizing an unlicensed concert and performing as a solo female vocalist in the presence of male spectators. This act contravenes Iranian laws that prohibit women from singing solo before mixed-gender audiences. Opposition groups and human rights activists argue that her arrest is part of a broader crackdown on women defying restrictive laws, particularly those related to public appearances and artistic expression. Seyfizade had previously gained attention for performing without the mandatory hijab during protests against the regime.

### Legal Restrictions on Female Singers in Iran

Since the establishment of the Islamic Republic in 1979, Iranian law has imposed severe restrictions on female singers. Women are prohibited from performing solo in front of male audiences and can only participate as background vocalists or as part of a group. These restrictions are rooted in interpretations of Islamic law that consider a woman's singing voice to be inappropriate for public settings where men are present. Additionally, women must adhere to strict dress codes, including wearing the hijab while performing. Violations of these laws can result in arrests, fines, or imprisonment.

### Release from Custody

On March 1, 2025, Seyfizade and other members of her group were released on bail. Her lawyer confirmed that only the concert organizer remained in custody at that time. The release followed significant public criticism and international attention on her arrest. However, the authorities have not disclosed whether any formal charges will be pursued against Seyfizade or her team.

## Art Activities

| Title | Publish Year | Location |
| Chosen of the first edition of "Navaye-Khorram" Music Festival | 2015 | Vahdat Hall |
| Operat "Khorous Zari, Pirhan Pari" | 2015 | Vahdat Hall |
| Cooperation with "Avaye Mehrabani" music group | 2016 | Vahdat Hall |
| Animal pond operetta | 2016 | Vahdat Hall |
| Receive Summit30 certificate from Attar Foundation | 2017 | Niavaran Complex |
| Cooperation with "Irani Pars" Orchestra | 2017 | Vahdat Hall |
| Cooperation with "Mouje No" Music Group | 2018 | Vahdat Hall |
| Attending the Tirgan Festival | 2022 | Toronto |
| Cooperation with "Rastak" music group | 2022-2023 | Sulaymaniyah, Erbil |
| Actor-singer in the show "Cafe Asheghi" | 2023 | Shahrzad Theater Hall |
| Actor-singer in the show "Nakoja Abad" | 2023 | Malek theater Hall |

## Sources

* ↑ "Hiwa Seyfizade | CreativeMornings/Tehran". CreativeMornings. 2024-01-26. Retrieved 2025-03-05.
* ↑ "معرفی منتخبان جایزه موسیقی "همایون خرم"". خبرگزاری مهر | اخبار ایران و جهان | Mehr News Agency (in Persian). 2015-01-03. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
* ↑ "روزنامه اعتماد: محدوديت صداي زنان دليل توقف "نواي خرم"". www.pishkhan.com. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
* ↑ ایران, عصر. "کنسرت گروه رستاک در سلیمانیه کردستان عراق (+عکس)". fa (in Persian). Retrieved 2024-03-24.
* ↑ "Hiwa Seyfizadeh Archives". Tirgan Nowruz Spring Festival 2022. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
* ↑ "کنسرت‌نمایش "ناکجاآباد" روی صحنه می‌رود". خبرگزاری ایلنا (in Persian). 2023-10-22. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
* ↑ "Hiwa Seyfizadeh | CreativeMornings/Tehran". CreativeMornings. 2024-01-26. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
* ↑ "Hiwa Seyfizadeh | CreativeMornings/Tehran". CreativeMornings. 2024-01-26. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
* 1 2 "Traditional Singer Hiwa Seyfizadeh Arrested". Hrana. 2025-02-28. Retrieved 2025-03-03.
* 1 2 3 "Female singer arrested during live performance in Tehran". www.iranintl.com. 2025-02-28. Retrieved 2025-03-03.
* 1 2 3 "Singer in Tehran arrested during live performance". Yahoo News. 2025-03-02. Retrieved 2025-03-03.
* ↑ Desk, News (2024-12-16). "Iranian Female Singer Arrested for Defying Mandatory Dress Code and Ban on Women Singing - Observer Diplomat". observerdiplomat.com. Retrieved 2025-03-03. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
* ↑ "Iranian woman sings solo at historic mosque in brave defiance of security and music ban". Classic FM. Retrieved 2025-03-04.
* ↑ "معرفی منتخبان جایزه موسیقی "همایون خرم"". خبرگزاری مهر | اخبار ایران و جهان | Mehr News Agency (in Persian). 2015-01-03. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
* ↑ ایرنا (3 October 2014). "اپرت "خروس زري ، پيرهن پري"". www.irna.ir. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
* ↑ ""آوای مهربانی" در تالار وحدت به صحنه می رود". خبرگزاری مهر | اخبار ایران و جهان | Mehr News Agency (in Persian). 2016-03-14. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
* ↑ "نیما یوشیج به دیدار کودکان می‌رود/ پیشنهاد ویژه برای یک روز جهانی". خبرگزاری مهر | اخبار ایران و جهان | Mehr News Agency (in Persian). 2015-09-21. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
* ↑ "اپرت «برکه حیوانات» با رهبری ارکستر ناصر نظر - مهر 1394 | موسیقی ما". www.musicema.com. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
* ↑ هیوا سیفی زاده -"نغمه نوروزی" فستیوال تیرگان, 25 March 2022, retrieved 2024-03-24
* ↑ "Hiwa Seyfizadeh Archives". Tirgan Nowruz Spring Festival 2022. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
* ↑ ایران, عصر. "کنسرت گروه رستاک در سلیمانیه کردستان عراق (+عکس)". fa (in Persian). Retrieved 2024-03-24.
* ↑ "موسیقی نمایش "کافه عاشقی" دوباره به صحنه بازگشت". خبرگزاری مهر | اخبار ایران و جهان | Mehr News Agency (in Persian). 2022-09-14. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
* ↑ "کنسرت‌نمایش "ناکجاآباد" روی صحنه می‌رود". خبرگزاری ایلنا (in Persian). 2023-10-22. Retrieved 2024-03-24.