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*
Fountains of Fin
received its Swiss premiere on July 24, 2011 in the Verbier Festival,
Switzerland. It was performed by Eugenia Zukerman, flute, Ye-Eun Choi,
violin, and Maximillian Hornung, cello.
Fountains of Fin was
inspired by the splendid garden of Fin in Kashan, Iran, celebrated for
its tall cypresses, and hundreds of fountains as well as its dark and
brutal history.
*
Dance of Life for Violin and Double Bass was performed in Bowdoin International Music Festival in Maine on July 13th, 2011. Cyrus Forough, violin and Kurt Muroki, double bass were the performers in this concert. "Dance of
Life" was inspired by a poem by Hafiz, the lyrical Persian poet from
14th century. Learn more about the
Dance of Life.* Musica Sacra performs the New York premiere of Behzad Ranjbaran's
"We Are One" in
Alice Tully Hall on May 13, 2011. The text for "We Are One" by beloved
Persian poet Sa'di is arguably the most famous poem in Persian
literature. It has been celebrated for centuries for its universality
and empathy for all human beings.
Learn more about this performance.* Mithra is performed by
Marin Symphony Orchestra, Alasdair Neale, conductor on May 1 and 3, 2011 in San Rafael, California.
Mithra
for orchestra was inspired by the ancient mythology of Mithra, the Iraninan sun god.
The piece was commissioned by Magnum Opus project, and three orchestras
of Marin, East Bay Symphony and Santa Rosa. Learn more about
Mithra.
* Oakland East Bay Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Michael Morgan, performs Ranjbaran's
Seemorgh on March 18, 2011. Seemorgh was recorded by Londong
Symphony Orchestra under a CD titled
Persian Trilogy, conducted by JoAnn Falletta.
* New Jersey Symphony performed Ranjbaran's
Seemorgh, Jacques Lacombe, conductor. The concerts on February 25-27, 2011 marked the New Jersey premiere of
Seemorgh (part of Persian Trilogy).
Seemorgh was recorded by London
Symphony Orchestra in a CD titled
Persian Trilogy, conducted by JoAnn Falletta.
* Theodore Presser has published the study score of
Seven Passages for orchestra (part of
Persian Trilogy).
Seven Passages was inspired by an episode in Shahnameh (the Book of Kings) by Ferdowsi. Learn more about
Seven Passages, Persian Trilogy, and
Shahnameh.
* Gagliano Trio performed the Austrian premiere of Ranjbaran's Shiraz piano trio on March 30, 2011 in Bregenz, Austria. * Gagliano Trio performed the Swiss premiere of Ranjbaran's Shiraz piano trio on December 28, 2010 in Rüttihubeliade Festival in Bern, Switzerland. * Jean-Yves Thibaudet performed Ranjbaran's
Piano Concerto with
Philadelphia Orchestra, Robert Spano conducting. These performances on December 10-12, 2010, marked the Philadelphia premiere of Ranjbaran's
Piano Concerto.
The new concerto was commissioned and premiered by Thibaudet and
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in June, 2008, with Robert Spano conducting.
* Shiraz piano trio received its Italian premiere
by
Manhattan Trio.
The concert was
on November 25, 2010 presented by
Associazione Filarmonica di Rovereto.
*
Violin Concerto
was performed by Carnegie Mellon Philharmonic Orchestra, Ronald Zollman conductor, on November 20, 2010 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The soloist, Sandro Leal-Santiesteban was the student winner in the concerto competition in Carnegie Mellon School of Music.*
Ranjbaran's Concerto for Violin, Viola and Orchestra was premiered by Virginia Symphony, JoAnn Falletta, conductor, on October 22, 2009. Vahn Armstrong, concertmaster and Beverly Baker, principal viola were the soloists. The Double Concerto was the result of a special award from ASCAP to conductor JoAnn Falletta to commission a composer of her choice.
* Mithra for orchestra was
premiered by Santa Rosa Symphony in California on February 13-15, 2010
with Bruno Ferrandis conducting. "Mithra" was inspired by the Persian
mythology and commissioned by the Magnum Opus Project/ Meet the Composer
in conjunction with orchestras of Marin Symphony, Oakland East Bay
Symphony and Santa Rosa Symphony. Read more about Mithra.
* George Stelluto conducts Peoria Symphony on a performance of Seven Passages (part of Persian Trilogy) on February 13, 2010 in Peoria, Illinois.
* Awakening for Orchestra was performed by River Oaks Chamber Orchestra conducted by Joel Smirnoff on October 10,11, 2009 in Houston, Texas.
* Ranjbaran's Violin Concerto was performed by Curtis Symphony Orchestra, Elissa Lee Koljonen, violin; JoAnn Falletta, conductor, October 25, 2009 in Symphony Hall, Allentown, Pennsylvania.
* Ranjbaran's Concerto for Cello and Orchestra was performed by Laredo Philharmonic Orchestra, Wesley Baldwin, cello, Brendan Townsend, conductor on October 25, 2009 in Laredo, Texas. Brendan Towsend also conducted Seven Passages with Laredo Philharmonic in his 2007-8 season as well.
* Ranjbaran's Violin Concerto was performed by Elissa Lee Koljonen, violin, in the Curtis Gala concert on October 27, 2009 in Verizon Hall, Philadelphia. In this performance, JoAnn Falletta conducted the Curtis Symphony Orchestra. Listen to this performance on Instant Encore.
* Michael Christie conducts "Seven Passages" as part of the Colorado Music Festival "East Meets West" program on July 9,10, 2009 in Boulder, Colorado.
* Philadelphia Orchestra, under the baton of Charles Dutoit, performs Ranjbaran's Saratoga overture on August 12, 2009 in Saratoga Springs. Ranjbaran composed the Saratoga overture in 2005 for the 40th anniversary of the Philadelphia Orchestra's residency at Saratoga Springs Music Festival.
* "Songs of Eternity" and "Awakening" were performed by Fort Worth Symphony, Miguel Harth-Bedoya conductor, on April 17, 18, 19 2009. These performances were part of Ranjbaran's residency with Fort Worth Symphony during 2008-2009 season.
* Seven Passages was performed by St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, David Robertson conducting, on March 20, 2009 in Saint Louis, Missouri.
* The Blood of Seyavash (part of Persian Trilogy) was performed by the Fort Worth Symphony, conducted by Miguel Harth - Bedoya in October and November as part of Ranjbaran's residency with the orcehstra in 2008-09.
* A multimedia production of Ranjbaran's Persian Trilogy received its world premiere on August 2, 2008 by Toronto Symphony Orchestra, conducted by JoAnn Falletta and Morshed Torabi as narrator. This event was sponsored by International Society for Iranian Studies in commemoration of Shahnameh's millennium. For further information read the press release.
* Ranjbaran's Cello Concerto was performed by Ann Alton, cello, and the Lake Placid Sinfonietta, David Gilbert, conducter on July 27, 2008 in Lake Placid, New York.
* JoAnn Falletta and Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra performed "Seven Passages" (part of Persian Trilogy) on August 7, 2008 in Chautauqua, New York.
* Behzad Ranjbaran named the composer-in-residence for Fort Worth Symphony during the 2008-2009 year. Under the baton of Miguel Harth-Bedoya, Ranjbaran's Awakenings, Songs of Eternity, and selections from The Blood of Seyavash were performed.
* Jean-Yves Thibaudet and Atlanta Symphony under the baton of Robert Spano premiered Ranjbaran's Piano Concerto on June 5,7, 8 2008 in Atlanta, Georgia.
* The Philadelphia Orchestra performed Ranjbaran's "Seven Passages" (part of Persian Trilogy) on March 29 and 31, 2008 as part of its Family Series (Legends and Music).
* Brooklyn Philharmonic in conjunction with the Brooklyn Museum Middle Eastern and Islamic Collections presented Shiraz Trio as part of its Shades of Babylon Program. This concert took place on Sunday March 30, 2008, at 2:00 pm at the Brooklyn Museum.
* "Fountains of Fin" for flute, violin and cello was performed on August 29,30,31 2008 by Bargemusic in Brooklyn, New York. It was commissioned by Bargemusic, through an award from the New York State Music Fund. The piece celebrates one of the most enchanting gardens in the world, the historical Garden of Fin in Kashan, Iran built in 16th century.
* Cho-Liang Lin performes Ranjbaran's Violin Concerto with Allentown Symphony, Diane Wittry conductor, on February 9 & 10, 2008.
* The New World Symphony, performs the U.S. premiere of Behzad Ranjbaran's "Awakening" in Miami, Florida on Septmebr 15, 2007, conducted by Joel Smirnoff. "Awakening" was commissioned and premiered by International Sejong Soloists in Korea's Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in 2005. "Awakening" for String Orchestra, a reflection of war and peace is in one movement. The main five-note motif of "Awakening" is used to construct an "Arc de Triomphe" in music, visually crating a symbolic gesture to represent the triumph of peace over conflict.
* Paul Tobias performs Ranjbaran's Cello Concerto with Mansfield Symphony with Conductor Robert Frantz, on September 29, 2007 in Mansfield, Ohio. Paul Tobias premiered Ranjbaran's cello concerto and recorded it with Virginia Symphony in 2000.
* Renée Fleming performs "Songs of Eternity" on March 6, 2007 at Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra's Gala concert. "Songs of Eternity" was written for Renée Fleming and was premiered by her with the Seattle Symphony under the baton of Gerard Schwarz in 2002.
* "Isfahan" is premiered by Philadelphia Chamber Ensemble on March 23, 25, 2007, in Philadelphia. It was commissioned in celebration of the 30th anniversary of the ensemble.
* Seven Passages, part of Persian Trilogy, was performed on November & December 2006 by Buffalo Philharmonic and Reading Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Robert Franz.
* Paul Tobias performs Ranjbaran's Elegy for cello & piano on a faculty recital in Mannes College in New York. Elegy is the second movement of Ranjbaran's Cello Concerto which Mr. Tobias originally commissioned and recorded in 2000. The recital was scheduled for October 11, 2006.
* Shiraz, for violin, cello and piano was premiered in New York City from August 31 through September 3, 2006. Commissioned by Bargemusic to inaugurate its new season, the new work was inspired by the city of Shiraz, famous for its poets, jasmine, rose gardens and wine. Shiraz was premiered by Mark Peskanov, violin, Edward Aaron, cello, and Olga Vinokur, piano.
* Allan Kay and the American Dream Chamber Players premiered Ranjbaran's Elegy for clarinet, English horn, harp and strings in Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall on June 4, 2006.
* William Harvey and the Juilliard Orchestra under the direction of Gerard Schwarz performed the New York premiere of Ranjbaran's violin Concerto in Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center on April 10, 2006. Ranjbaran's violin concerto was selected by the violin faculty at the Juilliard School as the 2006 violin concerto competition for the school's Centennial Celebration. READ RANJBARAN'S INTERVIEW IN JUILLIARD JOURNAL.
* On September 17, 2005, Yo-Yo Ma performed Ranjbaran's Elegy for Cello and Orchestra (Second movement of his Cello Concerto) at the Buffalo Philharmonic's opening night gala with JoAnn Falletta conducting.
* Chantal Juillet and the Philadelphia Orchestra, under the baton of Charles Dutoit, performed the Ranjbaran's Violin Concerto in Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) on August 20, 2005.
* Ranjbaran's Piano Quintet received its world premiere on August 14, 2005. This work was written on a commission from Saratoga Chamber Music Festival as part of his summer residency with the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, New York.
* The Philadelphia Orchestra, conducted by Charles Dutoit premiered "Saratoga", Ranjbaran's new orchestral work, in celebration of the 40th anniversary of SPAC on August 10, 2005.
* On August 5, 2005, International Sejong Soloists gave the world premiere of Ranjbaran's commissioned string orchestra piece, "Awakening", at the opening concert of the Great Mountains Music Festival in South Korea. On August 3rd, 2005, an excerpt of the piece was performed in the Demilitarized Zone as part of a peace festival. This event was broadcast by the Korean Broadcast Corporation.
* On July 29 and 31, 2005, Cantieri Internazionale D'Arte in Montepulciano, Italy, offered the Italian premiere of Ranjbaran's "Dance of Life" and "Open Secret".
* On March 31, 2005, Joshua Bell gave the American premiere of Ranjbaran's Violin Voncerto with Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Mario Venzago. The following week, Joshua Bell performed the Canadian premiere of teh concerto with the Toronto Symphony conducted by Peter Oundjian.