UCLA IRANIAN MUSIC CONFERENCE SERIES

In Conversation with Sadegh Nojouki

Moderated by Dr. Shahab Paranj

UCLA - Schoenberg Hall

Join the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music and the Gramian-Emrani Center for Iranian Music as we welcome Sadegh Nojouki, one of the most prominent and influential composers in Iranian popular music.

Sadegh Nojouki is a renowned Iranian composer, arranger, and pianist, best known for his significant contributions to Persian pop and classical music. Born in Tehran, he began his musical career in the 1970s and quickly became a key figure in shaping modern Iranian music. Nojouki is particularly known for blending traditional Persian melodies with Western orchestration and harmonies. His elegant arrangements and emotive compositions have earned him a lasting legacy in the Iranian music scene.

About Shahab Paranj

Winner of the 2024 Hoefer Prize, Composer, Conductor, Instrumentalist, and Educator Dr. Shahab Paranj, an Iranian-born composer, holds degrees in music composition from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Manhattan School of Music, and the University of California, Los Angeles. He is considered one of the pioneers among his generation of Iranian composers whose composition style integrates Persian and Western composition techniques. Known as a tombak virtuoso, he has performed, recorded, and collaborated with some of the most celebrated artists worldwide. Acclaimed by the San Francisco Examiner as “impressive” and by composer John Adams as “unique voice,” Paranj blends Persian rhythmic and melodic influences with Western texture and form in his composition. Recent commissions include works for ensembles such as the Russian String Orchestra, Intersection Contemporary Music Ensemble, Long Beach Opera, Jâca Duo, Aleron Trio, San Francisco New Music Ensemble, One Great City Duo, MSM Symphony Orchestra, and international Low Brass Trio. Additionally, he has composed an original score for the movie “Dressage,” which won the 2018 feature film (generation category) at the Berlin Film Festival. As a scholar, his main research focus lies in the Iranian Āva Style, and he has presented on this topic in various seminars, including the SEM, AMS, and SMT 2022 joint annual meeting. He has received formal recognition from the Mehr Humanitarian Society (2010) and the City and County of San Francisco (2011). Paranj is a founder and music director of The Iranshahr Orchestra and the artistic director of “du vert à l’infini,” a contemporary music festival in the Franche-Comte region of France. He currently serves as a lecturer and postdoctoral fellow at The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music.

This program is made possible by generous support from the Gramian-Emrani Center for Iranian Music.

Ticketing
This event is FREE! No RSVP required. Early arrival is recommended.

PARKING
Self-service parking is available at UCLA’s Parking Structure #2 for events in Schoenberg Music Building and the Evelyn and Mo Ostin Music Center. Visitor parking is marked by a green circle and the letter “P” and is on the lower levels (do not go up the ramp to levels 3-7). Costs range from $4 for 1 hour to $15 for all day. Evening rates (after 4 p.m.) are $3-$5 for 1 to 2 hours and $10 for all night.

ACCESSIBILITY
The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music is eager to provide a variety of accommodations and services for access and communications. If you would like to request accommodations, please do so 10 days in advance of the event by emailing ADA@schoolofmusic.ucla.edu or calling (310) 825-0174.