Profile: Behzad Ranjbaran
AUG 2 8:00 pm
Persian Trilogy
Commemorating the Millennium of the Shahnamah,
a Masterpiece of Classical Persian Poetry and Cosmopolitanism
Behzad Ranjbaran (www.behzadranjbaran.com)has been named the composer-in-residence with Forth Worth Symphony in Texas, where his Songs of Eternity, Awakening and The Blood of Seyavash, will be performed in the 2008-09 season. In recent seasons, soloists Renée Fleming, Joshua Bell, and Yo-Yo Ma, among others, have performed Ranjbaran’s music. In June 2008, Jean-Yves Thibaudet premiered his piano concerto, commissioned by the Atlanta Symphony and conducted by Robert Spano. Songs of Eternity on the Ruba’iyat of Omar Khayyam, written for soprano Renée Fleming, was premiered with the Seattle Symphony under the direction of Gerard Schwarz. Joshua Bell was the soloist in the premiere performances of the Violin Concerto with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, also conducted by Schwarz. Mr. Bell went on to give the work’s North American premiere with the Indianapolis Symphony, conducted by Mario Venzago, and subsequent performances with Peter Oundjian and the Toronto Symphony. International Sejong Soloists commissioned Awakening for premiere at the Great Mountains Music Festival in South Korea as a celebration of peace.
Recordings include the Persian Trilogy on the Delos label by the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by JoAnn Falletta. This orchestral cycle, comprising the works Seven Passages, Seemorgh, and The Blood of Seyavash, takes its inspiration from ancient Persian legends, as recounted in the 11th century epic poem “Shahnameh” (The Book of Kings). Ms. Falletta has also conducted Elegy for Cello and Orchestra with soloist Yo-Yo Ma and the Buffalo Philharmonic, reviewed in the Buffalo press as “ethereal…fragile, almost like a mirage.”
In the past two seasons, three chamber works were premiered: Fountains of Fin, a eulogy for Amir Kabir, the 19th century slain Iranian vezir, Shiraz and Isfahan celebrating two of Mr. Ranjbaran’s favorite cities in Iran. In the summer of 2005, Mr. Ranjbaran was composer-in-residence for the 40th anniversary of the Saratoga Music Festival. In celebration of the occasion, he composed the orchestral overture Saratoga, which was premiered by Charles Dutoit and the Philadelphia Orchestra. The festival also saw the premiere of his Piano Quintet and performances of many of Mr. Ranjbaran’s chamber works; in addition, Chantal Juillet was the soloist in a performance of the Violin Concerto with Dutoit and the Philadelphia Orchestra. In 2008, the Philadelphia Orchestra also performed his Seven Passages with Alastair Willis, Conductor.
Mr. Ranjbaran’s music has been described variously as having “qualities of inherent beauty and strong musical structure that make it a satisfying musical entity” (Nashville Scene) and “radiant luminescence” (The Washington Post). Accolades continue for Songs of Eternity, described in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram as “…enchanting … the piece wielded a peculiar, timeless magic…”; and the Liverpool Echo commented that the Violin Concerto is “high class, cohesive” and “when the concerto…just sings out a fine melodic line, the effect is ravishing.” In describing the “Persian Trilogy” CD, American Record Guide said that “Ranjbaran has composed a noble and brilliantly conceived score, spectacularly orchestrated and filled with memorable tunes, meticulous development, and impressive craftsmanship.”
Born in 1955 in Tehran, Iran, Mr. Ranjbaran is the recipient of the Rudolf Nissim Award for his Violin Concerto. His musical education started early when he entered the Tehran Music Conservatory at the age of nine. He came to the United States in 1974 to attend Indiana University and received his doctorate in composition from The Juilliard School, where he currently serves on the faculty and the chairman of the theory department. Named a “Distinguished Artist” by the New Jersey Council on the Arts, Mr. Ranjbaran’s honors also include a National Endowment for the Arts grant, a grant from Meet the Composer (composer/choreographer project), and a Charles Ives Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters.