Santa Rosa Symphony Music Director Bruno Ferrandis leads the orchestra in a world premiere by award-winning contemporary composer Behzad Ranjbaran on March 22, 23, and 24, 2014, in Weill Hall at Sonoma State University’s Green Music Center.
Born in 1955 in Tehran, Iran, Behzad Ranjbaran’s musical education started at the age of nine when he entered the Tehran Music Conservatory. He came to the United States in 1974 where he attended Indiana University. He received his doctorate in composition from the Juilliard School where he currently serves on the faculty. His honors include a National Endowment for the Arts grant, a grant from Meet the Composer, and a Charles Ives Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters.Ranjbaran was named a “Distinguished Artist” by the New Jersey Council on the Arts. He is also the recipient of the Rudolf Nissim Award for his Violin Concerto.
Ranjbaran’s music has been performed by soloists Renee Fleming, Joshua Bell, and Yo-Yo Ma, among others. Recordings include 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). Falletta has also conducted Elegy for Cello and Orchestra with soloist Yo-Yo Ma and the Buffalo Philharmonic. Among his other recordings is an all-Ranjbaran album of string music on Naxos, including Awakening, String quartet, Elegy, and more.
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Remarkable people with Iranian roots 