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 (or orchestra; or string orchestra) [arr. 2000 from "Elegy for Strings", 1985; arr. w/string orch, 2004]
- Elegy, clarinet and strings [arr. 2004 from "Elegy for Strings", 1985]
Six Caprices for Violin Duo (1988; pub. 2000)
String Quartet No. 1 (1988)
Dance of Life, violin and double bass (1990)
Seemorgh, orchestra (1991) [part of "Persian Trilogy"]
Symphony No. 1, orchestra (1992)
The Blood Of Seyavash, orchestra or ballet (1994) [part of "Persian Trilogy"]
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra (1994)
Caprice No. 1, violin (1995)
Songs of Eternity, soprano and orchestra (1998)
Thomas Jefferson, narrator, solo cello and orchestra (1998)
Concerto for Cello and Orchestra (1998)
Moto Perpetuo, violin and piano (1998; arr. for violin and string orchestra, 2001; arr. for flute and piano, 2004)
The Open Secret, chorus and chamber ensemble (1999)
Ballade, double bass (1999)
Seven Passages, orchestra (2000) [part of "Persian Trilogy"]
Nocturne (A Night in a Persian Garden), piano (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)
Fountains of Fin, flute, clarinet and violin (2008)
We Are One, chorus (2008)
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra (2008)
Concerto for Violin, Viola and Orchestra (2009)
Mithra, orchestra (2010)
Three Songs, soprano and piano (in preparation)
WORKS BY GENRE Ranjbaran Links ~ top of page ~
Dramatic/Theater
The Blood Of Seyavash, orchestra or ballet (1994) [part of "Persian Trilogy"]
Orchestra
Elegy for Strings (1985)
Seemorgh, orchestra (1991) [part of "Persian Trilogy"]
Symphony No. 1, orchestra (1992)
The Blood Of Seyavash, orchestra or ballet (1994) [part of "Persian Trilogy"]
Thomas Jefferson, narrator, solo cello and orchestra (1998)
Seven Passages, orchestra (2000) [part of "Persian Trilogy"]
Saratoga, orchestra (2005)
Awakening, string orchestra (2005)
Mithra, orchestra (2010)
Soloist(s) w/Orchestra
Elegy (1985)
- cello and orchestra (or string orchestra) [arr. 1995 from "Elegy for Strings", 1985; arr. w/string orch, 2004]
- clarinet and strings [arr. 1995 from "Elegy for Strings", 1985]
Concerto for Violin and Orchestra (1994)
Concerto for Cello and Orchestra (1998)
Moto Perpetuo, violin and piano (1998; arr. for violin and string orchestra, 2001)
Thomas Jefferson, narrator, solo cello and orchestra (1998)
Concerto for Piano and Orchestra (2008)
Concerto for Violin, Viola and Orchestra (2009)
Chorus w/Orchestra
The Open Secret, chorus and chamber ensemble (1999)
Choral
We Are One, chorus (2008)
Chamber
Six Caprices for Violin Duo (1988; pub. 2000)
String Quartet No. 1 (1988)
Dance of Life, violin and double bass (1990)
Piano Quintet (2005)
Shiraz, violin, cello and piano (2006)
Isfahan, clarinet, harp, 2 violins, viola, cello and double bass (2007)
Fountains of Fin, flute, clarinet and violin (2008)
Solo Instrument
Elegy (1985)
- cello and piano (or string orch; or orchestra) [arr. 1995 from "Elegy for Strings", 1985]
- clarinet and strings [arr. 1995 from "Elegy for Strings", 1985]
Caprice No. 1, violin (1995)
Moto Perpetuo, violin and piano (1998)
- flute and piano [arr. 2004]
Ballade, double bass (1999)
Piano
Nocturne (A Night in a Persian Garden), piano (2002)
Vocal
Songs of Eternity, soprano and orchestra (1998)
Three Songs, soprano and piano (in preparation)
RANJBARAN LINKS Works by Genre ~ top of page ~
Behzad Ranjbaran Named SPAC Composer-in-Residence (Persian Mirror)
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)
Epic Proportions (Jim Steinblatt, ASCAP/Playback)
Iranian-Born Composer To Highlight Allentown Symphony's Exploration Of "Life's Journeys" (Payvand.com)
Joshua Bell Plays American Premiere of Ranjbaran Concerto (Pars Times)
On the Shahnameh Millennium Concert: A Conversation with Master Behzad Ranjabaran (Fariba Amini, Iranian.com)
On the Shahnameh Millennium concert: A Conversation with Master Behzad Ranjabaran (Fariba Amini, Iranian.com/Payvand)
A Pair of Premieres (Tim Whitelaw, The Juilliard Journal Online)
Persian Myths and a Polish Romantic (Marianne Lipanovich, San Francisco Classical Voice)
Speaking With an Accent Through His Music (Gary Panetta, Journal Star/pjstar.com)
Staying Composed (Shawn Stone, Metroland)
Virginia Symphony Tour To Stop In Williamsburg - "Thomas Jefferson: Vision of America" (David Nicholson, Daily Press)
Composer's website
Ranjbaran @ Wikipedia
Ranjbaran @ Boston Modern Orchestra Project
Ranjbaran @ Bren Townsend
Ranjbaran @ Classical Archives
Ranjbaran @ ClassicsToday
Ranjbaran @ Colorado Music Festival/Rocky Mountain Center for Musical Arts
Ranjbaran @ Dilettante Music
Ranjbaran @ ePersia.net
Ranjbaran @ Hermes Records
Ranjbaran @ InstantEncore
Ranjbaran @ Iranian Arts and Cultural Festival
Ranjbaran @ Kodoom
Ranjbaran @ Meet the Composer
Ranjbaran @ MusicWeb International
Ranjbaran @ Naxos
Ranjbaran @ The New York Times
Ranjbaran @ Payvand
Ranjbaran @ Payvand Iran News also here also here
Ranjbaran @ Theodore Presser
Publisher
Ranjbaran @ Composer website
Ranjbaran @ Theodore Presser
Streaming Audio
Ranjbaran @ Composer's website
Ranjbaran @ BEHINDtheBEAT
Ranjbaran @ Classical Archives
Ranjbaran @ Colorado Music Festival/Rocky Mountain Center for Musical Arts
Ranjbaran @ last.fm
Ranjbaran @ PRX (Public Radio Exchange)
Ranjbaran @ Rhapsody
Recordings
Ranjbaran @ Composer's website
Ranjbaran @ ArkivMusic
Ranjbaran @ ClassicsOnline
Ranjbaran @ Hermes Records
Video
Ranjbaran @ YouTube
Ranjbaran @ Google Video
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