Page 69 - Javanan Magazine Issue #1917

ISSUE No. 1917
JAVANAN

AHMAD PEJMAN THE PHENOMENON

dren music, chamber music
and he also started his long
collaboration with filmmaker
Bahman Farmanara, writing
film music for Shazdeh Ehte-
jab (1974) and The Tall Shad-
ows of the Wind (1979). He
also wrote the music for David
Frost's 5 part television series,
Crossroads of Civilization for
BBC television in 1979. While
completing his doctorate stud-
ies at Columbia University in
New York, the Iranian Revolu-
tion took place. He moved to
Los Angeles in 1984 and con- هلذب نیریش شرسمه هارمه هب
tinued with composing and ar-
ranging music for various art- امیس شرتخد و
ists. In 1992 Pejman returned
to Iran and started compos-
ing for the orchestra, choir
Born in Lar, Iran, Ahmad Pejman and the symphony, including
was exposed to the rhythms and Khorramshahr (1992), Mokhtar
melodies of the south from early (1993) The Seven Hurdles of Ros-
childhood. While studying music tam (1996), writing film music
composition with Hossein Nas- for various filmmakers including
ehi and Heshmat Sanjari, Pejman Mohsen Makhmalbaaf, Majid
played the violin and viola at Teh- Majidi, Rakhshan Bani-Etemad,
ran Symphony Orchestra. Soon and Bahman Farmanara. In
after college, he received a schol- 2007 Pejman wrote the Oratorio
arship to study music composition Resurrection (on poems by Fer-
at the Vienna Music Academy in dowsi, Hefiz, Mowlana, Khajeh
Austria. He studied with Thomas Abdollah Ansari) with Mosfilm
Christian David, Alfred Uhl and Orchestra and Moscow Academy
Hanns Jelinik. As a student, his choir. His other notable works
compositions were performed by include Hameh Shahr Iran (folk-
the Vienna Chamber Orchestra, loric Iranian songs for children
and his symphonic work Rhapso- 1995) Shadows of the Sun (2010),
dy was performed by the Vienna Norooz Symphony
Radio Symphony Orchestra. Be- (2011) Divertimento (4 move-
fore graduating from the Acad- ments for String Orchestra 2016)
emy, Pejman was commissioned Parsava (5 movements for solo pi-
to write the first Persian Opera, ano 2016). The Land of the Brave
The Rustic Festival, for the open- (for choir and orchestra 2017)
ing of the Rudaki Hall in Tehran Pejman is currently completing
in 1967. Upon return to Iran, Pej- an album on the poems of Sohrab
man became one of the most pro- Sepehri. Pejman has received nu-
lific classical music composers in merous national and internation-
the country, writing operas, The al awards including two Crystal
Hero of Sahand (1968), Saman- Simorgh Awards for the music to
dar (1970), symphonic works, Majid Majidi's Baran and Bah-
ballets and choir works, includ- man Farmanara's The Scent of
ing The illumination (1969), Bal- Camphor, the Fragrance of Jas-
let Impression (1973), Ayyaran min. A commemorative stamp
(1974), Symphonic Sketches was issued in Pejman's honor in
(1975), Hemmaseh (1976), chil- 2017.
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