“As far as I know, the indefatigable maestro still feels like a 30-year-old for broadening his experiences in music,” Salahi said.

Photographer Fakhreddin Fakhreddini, famous for his black-and-white portrait photos of Iranian celebrities, also spoke at the celebration.

“Tjeknavorian’s compositions can be considered as a fusion of music and paintings, since he is a notable painter as well,” he said.

Tjeknavorian also spoke briefly, saying that he has always been interested in Iranian and Islamic culture, traditions and arts.

The musician, who is of Armenian descent, expressed pleasure over his Iranian nationality as he hoped for further peace and friendship for his countrymen.

Tjeknavorian said that he draws inspiration from people and added, “I have always been delighted to be living among the Iranian people.”

The celebration ended with the presentation of a painting by Morteza Asadi and other awards to Tjeknavorian.

Tjeknavorian was born in 1937 in Borujerd in the southwestern Iranian province of Lorestan and was educated in Tehran.

After he studied violin and piano at the Tehran Conservatory of Music, he studied composition at the Vienna Music Academy, where he graduated with honors in 1961.

Tjeknavorian has performed throughout the world, having conducted international orchestras in Austria, Britain, the United States, Canada, Hungary, Iran, Finland, the former Soviet Union, Armenia, Thailand, Hong Kong, South Africa and Denmark.

His own compositions have been performed by major orchestras, including the London Symphony Orchestra, the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, the American Symphony Orchestra in New York and the Tehran Symphony Orchestra.