Ahmad Pejman

Ahmad Pejman (born 1935), also spelled as Ahmad Pezhman, is an Iranian classical composer who resides in the United States.

Pejman is notable for his operatic and symphonic works.

Born in 1935 in Lar, Iran, Pejman was exposed to the sounds and rhythms of southern Iran from early childhood.

In high school he started violin lessons with Heshmat Sanjari and music theory with Hossein Nassehi.

As a young violinist with the Tehran Symphony Orchestra, he was awarded a scholarship to study composition at the Music Academy in Vienna.

He studied composition with Thomas Christian David, Alfred Uhl, and Hans Jelineck, Friedrich Cerha As a first year student at the Academy, Pejman's compositions were performed by the Vienna Chamber Orchestra and his orchestral work Rhapsody was performed by the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra.

In his third year as a student, he was commissioned to write the first Persian Opera Rustic Festival for the opening of the Tehran Opera house, Rudaki Hall.

Upon graduation from the Academy of Music in Vienna, Pejman returned to Iran in 1968, where he was commissioned to write the opera Hero of Sahand (Delāvar-e-Sahand) which was based on legendary Persian hero Babak Khorramdin.

The opera was premiered at Roudaki Hall in 1968.

Between 1969 and 1978, Pejman continued to compose symphonic works, operas, ballets, and also wrote many scores for motion pictures and television programs.

In 1976, three years before the Iranian revolution, Pejman moved to New York, where he entered Columbia University's Doctorate of Music program in New York and continued his studies with Buelant Arel, Vladimir Ussachevsky and Jack Beeson.

In 1984, Pejman moved to Los Angeles and continued to compose and arrange music for jazz and pop ensembles, and motion pictures Threat, 1985.

In 1992, Pejman was commissioned to write a cantata for choir and orchestra for the liberation of Khorramshahr Beh Yade Khorramshahr, 1992.

He was then commissioned to write music for a musical theater to be performed at Vahdat Hall (previously called Rudaki) Mokhtar, 1993.

Since 1993 Pejman has been writing film music and composing for the orchestra and choir and released various soundtracks and CDs.

Pejman has written orchestral works, operas, film scores, ballet pieces, and popular music.

"Resurrection concert" or "A Persian Night with Vancouver Opera Orchestra featuring Vancouver Bach Choir was held at Orpheum theatre in Vancouver on January 20, 2019 to pay tribute to Ahmad Pejman. The creator director and producer of the concert was Mohammad Fazlali. For the very first time in Canada, 150 Professional musicians graced the magnificent Orpheum Theatre to perform masterpieces by renowned Iranian composers on the Persian Night concert. Three movements of Symphonic Poem "Sudden Resurrection" composed by Ahmad Pejman were performed in this concert, conducted by Leslie Dala. This concert was World live premier of "Sudden Resurrection". Ahmad Pejman was present in the concert. Pieces from other Iranian composers; Loris Tjeknavorian, Hooshang Kamkar, Homayoun Khorram, Gholamhossein Minbashian,

Fardin Khalatbari, Mahyar Alizadeh, Ramin Jamalpour,

Saman Samimi were in the repertoire of the concert as well.

Alireza Ghorbani and Talin Ohanian were Vocalists in this concert.