Behzad Ranjbaran: World-Class Music Composer Inspired by "Shahnameh"

Chautauqua is a small, quiet and beautiful town on the Western frontier of State of New York, not too far from Lake Erie and the Niagara Falls. The population of the town is 97% White. But a Few Nights ago, on August 7, 2008, Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra, opened their performance with "Seven Passages" (Persian translation= هفت خان) composed by the world-class Iranian-born composer Behzad Ranjbaran.

"Seven Passages" is part of the "Persian Trilogy" as conducted by JoAnn Falletta (and recorded on label with the London Symphony Orchestra). "Persian Trilogy" includes the works Seven Passages, Seemorgh, and The Blood of Seyavash, and takes its inspiration from ancient Persian legends, as recounted in the 11th century epic poem “Shahnameh” (The Book of Kings).

Behzad Ranjbaran was born in Tehran, Iran, on July 1, 1955. At the age of nine, he entered the Tehran Music Conservatory. In 1974, Mr. Ranjbaran moved to the United States, where he attended Indiana University. Later, Mr. Ranjbaran received his doctorate from the Juilliard School in New York, where he currently is a member of the faculty.

Mr. Ranjbaran’s music has been performed by distinguished soloists and ensembles throughout the world, such as his "Songs of Eternity" (2002) by soprano Renée Fleming, who sang the world premiere with the Seattle Symphony, under the direction of Gerard Schwarz. In the summer of 2005, Ranjbaran was composer in residence for the 40th anniversary of the Saratoga Music Festival.

Earlier this month, The Shahnamah Millennium Concert and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra came together for a unique multimedia performance of "Persian Trilogy."

Later this month, Mr. Ranjbaran's work will be performed in New York city on Bargemusic.