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Ahmad Pejman
Ahmad Pejman
Background information
Born	9 July 1937 (age 87); Lar
Origin	Iran
Genres	Persian symphonic music; Film score; contemporary classical music; post-romanticism;
Occupation	Composer
Instrument	Violin
Years active	1965

Ahmad Pejman (Persian: احمد پژمان ; born 1935), also spelled as Ahmad Pezhman, is an Iranian contemporary classical composer who resides in the United States. Pejman is notable for his works in opera, symphonies, and music for film.

Biography

Born in 1935 in Lar, Iran, Pejman was exposed to the sounds and rhythms of southern Iran from an early childhood. In high ,school he started violin lessons with Heshmat Sanjari and music theory with Hossein Nassehi.

As a young violinist with the Tehran Symphony Orchestra, he was awarded a scholarship to study composition at the Music Academy in Vienna. He studied composition with Thomas Christian David, Alfred Uhl, and Hans Jelineck, Friedrich Cerha As a first year student at the Academy, Pejman's compositions were performed by the Vienna Chamber Orchestra and his orchestral work Rhapsody was performed by the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra. In his third year as a student, he was commissioned to write the first Persian Opera Rustic Festival for the opening of the Tehran Opera house, Rudaki Hall. Upon graduation from the Academy of Music in Vienna, Pejman returned to Iran in 1968, where he was commissioned to write the opera Hero of Sahand (Delāvar-e-Sahand) which was based on legendary Persian hero Babak Khorramdin. The opera was premiered at Roudaki Hall in 1968. Between 1969 and 1978, Pejman continued to compose symphonic works, operas, ballets, and also wrote many scores for motion pictures and television programs.

In 1976, three years before the Iranian revolution, Pejman moved to New York, where he entered Columbia University's Doctorate of Music program in New York and continued his studies with Buelant Arel, Vladimir Ussachevsky and Jack Beeson.

In 1984, Pejman moved to Los Angeles and continued to compose and arrange music for jazz and pop ensembles, and motion pictures Threat, 1985.

In 1992, Pejman was commissioned to write a cantata for choir and orchestra for the liberation of Khorramshahr. He was then commissioned to write music for a musical theater to be performed at Vahdat Hall (previously called Rudaki). Since 1993, Pejman has been writing film music, composing for the orchestra and choir and releasing various soundtracks and CDs.

Compositions

Pejman has written orchestral works, operas, film scores, ballet pieces, and popular music.

Concerto for nine instruments 1964 (Student at Music Academy in Vienna)
Rhapsody for orchestra 1965 (Student at Music Academy in Vienna)
Sonata for viola and piano (1966) (Student at Music Academy in Vienna)
Parsian Overture (1966) (Student at Music Academy in Vienna)
Rustic Festival, Opera in one act for the opening of Rudaki Opera house,1967
The Hero of Sahand, Opera in 2 acts, 1968
The Illumination, Ballet, 1969
Samandar, Opera in three acts, 1970
Baba Barfi, Children Music, 1971
Gol Omad, Bahar Omad, Children Music, 1971
Music for Poems of Nima Youshij, recited by Ahmad Shamlou, 1972
Chamber Music for Santoor and Tombak, 1972
Ballet-Impressions, 1973
Ayyaran, Ballet for Persian Instruments, 1974
Symphonic Sketches, 1975
Hemmaseh, Ballet (performed by Manchester Ballet Company 1976
3 Pieces for Jazz Ensemble 1980
Music Arrangement and Pop compositions 1988-1991
Khorramshahr, Cantata for soloist, chorus and orchestra 1992
Mokhtar, Musical Theater 1993
Seven Hurdles of Rostam, Ballet 1996
Resurrection, Oratorio Mosfilm Orchestra Moscow Academy Choir 2007
Sohrab, Music for Soloist, Choir and Orchestra (on Sohrab Sepehri poems 2009
Shadows of the Sun 2010 (to be released on Hermes Records 2010)
Norooz Symphony in 5 movements 2011
Divertimento in 4 movements for String Orchestra 2016
Parsava - 5 movements for solo piano 2016
Sarzamin Delavaran (Land of the Brave) 2017

Film and television

Sadeh Celebration, Film Music Askari-Nasab director, 1971
Daliran Tengestan TV series, Homayoon Shahnavaz director 1973
Shazdeh Ehtejab Film Music, Bahman Farmanara, director, 1974
Tall Shadows of the Wind Film Music, Bahman Farmanara director 1977
Made in Iran aka Sakhte Iran Film Music, Amir Naderi director, 1978
Crossroads of Civilization TV series, David Frost producer 1978-1979
Veiled Threat Film Music, Cyrus Nowrasteh director, 1986
Checkpoint Film Music Parviz Sayyad Director, 1987
The Actor, Film Music Mohsen Makhmalbaf director, 1993
Zinat Film Music Ebrahim Mokhtari director, 1993
Kimia Film Music Mohammad Reza Darvish director, 1995
The Blue Veiled Film Music, Rakhshan Bani Etemad director 1995
Iranair documentary - Film Music Mostafa R. Karimi 1997
Friendly Persuasion Film Music Jamsheed Akrami director 1999
Smell of Camphor, Fragrance of Jasmine Film Music, Bahman Farmanara 2000
Baran Film Music Majid Majidi director 2001
Along the Wind Documentary film music Manouchehr Tayyab director 2001
A House Built on Water Film Music Bahman Farmanara director 2002
Astan Ghods Razavi Documentary Film Music Manouchehr Tayyab director 2003
A Little Kiss Film Music Bahman Farmanara Director, 2005
The Willow Tree Film Music Majid Majidi Director 2005
Sea of Pars Documentary Film Music Manouchehr Tayyab director, 2006
Alborz Documentary Film Music Manouchehr Tayyab director, 2011

Recordings

Hameh Shahre Iran (Ethnic Music of Iran) - Naydavood Records
Jing-o-jing-e saaz - Alladin Records
Eternal River - Alladin Records
Symphonic Sketches - Alladin Records
Tigress - Alladin Records
Memories of Tomorrow - Hermes Records
Mirage - Hermes Records
Lunatic - Hermes Records
Haft Khan Rostam - MZM Records

Tribute

"Resurrection concert" or "A Persian Night with Vancouver Opera Orchestra featuring Vancouver Bach Choir was held at Orpheum theatre in Vancouver on January 20, 2019 to pay tribute to Ahmad Pejman. The creator director and producer of the concert was Mohammad Fazlali. For the very first time in Canada, 150 Professional musicians graced the magnificent Orpheum Theatre to perform masterpieces by renowned Iranian composers on the Persian Night concert. Three movements of Symphonic Poem "Sudden Resurrection" composed by Ahmad Pejman were performed in this concert, conducted by Leslie Dala. This concert was World live premier of "Sudden Resurrection". Ahmad Pejman was present in the concert. Pieces from other Iranian composers; Loris Tjeknavorian, Hooshang Kamkar, Homayoun Khorram, Gholamhossein Minbashian, Fardin Khalatbari, Mahyar Alizadeh, Ramin Jamalpour, Saman Samimi were in the repertoire of the concert as well. Alireza Ghorbani and Talin Ohanian were Vocalists in this concert. ^[1] ^[2] ^[3]