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Composer

 

Niloufar Nourbakhsh is a contemporary classical music composer who was born in Tehran, Iran in 1986. She grew up in a family of musicians, with her father being a composer and her mother a pianist. From a young age, Nourbakhsh was exposed to classical music and began playing the piano at the age of six. She later went on to study composition at the Tehran Conservatory of Music. In 2003, Nourbakhsh moved to the United States to pursue her studies in music. She attended the University of Michigan, where she earned a Bachelor of Music degree in composition. She then went on to earn a Master of Music degree in composition from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in composition from the University of Cincinnati. Throughout her career, Nourbakhsh has received numerous awards and honors for her compositions. In 2011, she was awarded the ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Award for her piece "The Wind Will Blow Us Away." She has also been a recipient of the American Composers Forum's McKnight Fellowship, the New York Youth Symphony's First Music Commission, and the Jerome Foundation's Composer/Sound Artist Fellowship. Nourbakhsh's compositions are known for their unique blend of Western classical music and Persian traditional music. She often incorporates Persian instruments such as the santur and the tar into her works, creating a sound that is both familiar and new. Her compositions have been performed by orchestras and ensembles around the world, including the Minnesota Orchestra, the Albany Symphony Orchestra, and the New York Youth Symphony. One of Nourbakhsh's most notable works is her opera "The Persian Hours," which premiered in 2018 at the Prototype Festival in New York City. The opera tells the story of a young Iranian woman who immigrates to the United States and struggles to find her place in a new culture. The music of the opera is a fusion of Western classical music and Persian traditional music, with Nourbakhsh incorporating Persian instruments such as the santur and the daf into the score. Another notable work by Nourbakhsh is her piece "The Wind Will Blow Us Away," which was inspired by the Iranian film of the same name. The piece is scored for string quartet and Persian instruments, and explores themes of loss and longing. The piece has been performed by ensembles around the world, including the Kronos Quartet. In addition to her work as a composer, Nourbakhsh is also an advocate for diversity and inclusion in classical music. She has spoken out about the lack of representation of women and people of color in the classical music world, and has worked to create opportunities for underrepresented composers and performers. She is a co-founder of the Iranian Female Composers Association, which aims to promote the work of Iranian women composers. Overall, Niloufar Nourbakhsh is a talented and innovative composer who has made significant contributions to the world of classical music. Her unique blend of Western classical music and Persian traditional music has earned her critical acclaim and a dedicated following of fans and performers. As she continues to create new works and advocate for diversity and inclusion in classical music, Nourbakhsh is sure to leave a lasting impact on the world of music.

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