Behzad Ranjbaran (1955- )
Behzad Ranjbaran,
born in Tehran, Iran, 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, where he attended
Indiana
University and received his doctorate in composition from The Juilliard
School. He is on the faculty of The Juilliard School. Named
as
“Distinguished Artist” by the New Jersey Council on the Arts,
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. Behzad Ranjbaran’s music has been performed in recent
seasons by Renée Fleming, Joshua Bell and
Yo-Yo Ma among others. Ranjbaran’s music has variously been
described as having “qualities of inherent beauty and strong musical
structure that make it a satisfying musical entity” (Henry Arnold,
Nashville Scene) and “radiant luminescence” (Cecelia Porter, The
Washington Post). Allen Gimbel (American Record Guide) said about
the “Persian Trilogy” CD that “Ranjbaran has composed a noble and
brilliantly conceived score, spectacularly orchestrated and filled with
memorable tunes, meticulous development, and impressive
craftsmanship.” Accolades continue for Songs of Eternity, which
was described in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer (Philippa Kiraly) as
“beautiful” and with “exquisite melismas”; and Joe Riley commented in
the Liverpool Echo that the Violin Concerto is “high class, cohesive”
and “when the concerto…just sings out a fine melodic line, the effect
is ravishing.”COMPOSITIONS Ranjbaran Links ~ ~ ~ Works by Genre
Elegy for Strings (1985)
- Elegy, cello and piano (1985?) [arr. from Elegy for Strings, 1985 ???]
- Elegy for Clarinet and Strings (1985?) [arr. from Elegy for Strings, 1985 ???]
String Quartet No. 1 (1990)
Seemorgh, Persian Trilogy, orchestra (1991)
Symphony No. 1, orchestra (1992)
The Blood Of Seyavash, Persian Trilogy, orchestra or ballet (1994)
Violin Concerto (1994)
Dance of Life, violin and double bass (1994)
Elegy, cello and orchestra (1995)
Caprice No. 1, violin (1995)
Thomas Jefferson, narrator, solo cello and orchestra (1998)
Cello Concerto (1998)
Thomas Jefferson, narrator, solo cello and orchestra (1998)
Moto Perpetuo, violin and piano (1998)
- Moto Perpetuo, flute and piano
The Open Secret, chorus and chamber orchestra (1999)
Ballade, double bass (1999)
Seven Passages, Persian Trilogy, orchestra (2000)
Six Caprices, 2 violins (pub. 2000)
Moto Perpetuo, violin and string orchestra (2001)
Nocturne, piano (2002)
Songs of Eternity, soprano and orchestra (2002)
Saratoga, orchestra (2005)
Awakening, string orchestra (2005)
Piano Quintet (2005)
Shiraz, violin, cello and piano (2006)
Isfahan, clarinet, harp, 2 violins, viola, cello and double bass (2007)
Three Songs, soprano and piano (in preparation)
WORKS BY GENRE Ranjbaran Links ~ top of page ~
Dramatic/Theater
The Blood Of Seyavash, Persian Trilogy, orchestra or ballet (1994)
Orchestra
Elegy for Strings (1985)
Seemorgh, Persian Trilogy, orchestra (1991)
Symphony No. 1, orchestra (1992)
The Blood Of Seyavash, Persian Trilogy, orchestra or ballet (1994)
Thomas Jefferson, narrator, solo cello and orchestra (1998)
Seven Passages, Persian Trilogy, orchestra (2000)
Saratoga, orchestra (2005)
Awakening, string orchestra (2005)
Soloist(s) w/Orchestra
Violin Concerto (1994)
Elegy, cello and orchestra (1995)
Cello Concerto (1998)
Thomas Jefferson, narrator, solo cello and orchestra (1998)
Moto Perpetuo, violin and string orchestra (2001)
Chorus w/Orchestra
The Open Secret, chorus and chamber orchestra (1999)
Chamber
String Quartet No. 1 (1990)
Dance of Life, violin and double bass (1994)
Six Caprices, 2 violins (pub. 2000)
Piano Quintet (2005)
Shiraz, violin, cello and piano (2006)
Isfahan, clarinet, harp, 2 violins, viola, cello and double bass (2007)
Solo Instrument
Elegy, cello and piano (1985?) [arr. from Elegy for Strings, 1985 ???]
Elegy for Clarinet and Strings (1895?) [arr. from Elegy for Strings, 1985 ???]
Caprice No. 1, violin (1995)
Moto Perpetuo, violin and piano (1998)
- Moto Perpetuo, flute and piano
Ballade, double bass (1999)
Piano
Nocturne, piano (2002)
Vocal
Songs of Eternity, soprano and orchestra (2002)
Three Songs, soprano and piano (in preparation)
RANJBARAN LINKS Works by Genre ~ top of page ~
Behzad Ranjbaran's Exclusive Interview with Salam Toronto: Bridging the Gap Between East and West through Music (Azim Ahmed, Salam Toronto, Payvand.com)
A Concert in Atlanta: Behzad Ranjbaran’s Concerto for Piano and Orchestra (Kenny Crucial, WSWS)
Fort Worth Symphony to Perform Ranjbaran's Persian Influenced Pieces (Chris Shull, The Dallas Morning News)
Iranian-Born Composer To Highlight Allentown Symphony's Exploration Of "Life's Journeys" (Payvand.com)
On the Shahnameh Millennium concert: A Conversation with Master Behzad Ranjabaran (Fariba Amini, Iranian.com/Payvand)
Staying Composed (Shawn Stone, Metroland)
Composer's website
Ranjbaran @ Wikipedia
Ranjbaran @ Boston Modern Orchestra Project
Ranjbaran @ MusicWeb International
Ranjbaran @ NationMaster
Ranjbaran @ The New York Times
Ranjbaran @ Payvand
Ranjbaran @ Theodore Presser
Streaming Audio
Ranjbaran @ BEHINDtheBEAT
Ranjbaran @ Composer's website
Ranjbaran @ PRX (Public Radio Exchange)
Ranjbaran @ Rhapsody
Recordings
Ranjbaran @ ArkivMusic
Ranjbaran @ ClassicsOnline
Ranjbaran @ YouTube
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