Estonian-based composer and conductor Arash Yazdani (*1985) has studied at, among others, The Royal College of Music in Stockholm, Hochschule für Musik Basel and Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre; and has earned degrees in piano, double bass, orchestral conducting and composition specialties. A recipient of the Jonathan Harvey Scholarship as of 2020, he is currently a researcher at the University of Huddersfield. Previously, Yazdani has been a research residency fellow at Institut für Elektronische Musik und Akustik Graz. Arash is artistic director of Sound Plasma, festival for alternative intonation music in Berlin and Tallinn. As a guest conductor he worked with several ensembles including NeuverBand Ensemble, Ensemble Linea, Ensemble U:, Lucerne Festival Academy Orchestra , International Ensemble Modern Academy.
He is Artistic director and conductor of Ensemble for New Music Tallinn; and collaborates as curator with several music festivals in Europe. Yazdani’s music is recognised by its application of the acoustic and psycho-acoustic phenomena on the fabric of music, and creating unique hearing experience with the use of instruments. He has written pieces for Ensemble Phoenix Basel, Ensemble Proton Bern, Ensemble Lemniscate, Ensemble U:, Defunensemble, Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Schallfeld Ensemble, Ensemble du Bout du Monde, Resonabilis among the others. His music has featured in the Schwetzinger SWR Festspiele, MIXTUR Festival Barcelona, MATA festival New York, ISCM world music days festival, CrossRoads International festival Salzburg, AFEKT festival, World Saxophone Congress, L’Archipel festival, Kiev Contemporary Music Days, Royaumont Abbey foundation, Estonian Music Days, ReMusik Festival St Petersburg, Vertixe Vigo, AFEKT, Darmstadt ferienkurse, and Tallinn Music Week.
His 2018 orchestra piece NAKBA was selected to represent Estonia in the International Rostrum of Composers 2019 by Estonian Public Broadcasting. His 2022 piece Hurreh for 12 voices, was selected by Estonian National broadcast to represent Estonia in the International Rostrum of Composers 2022. He won the first prize at composition competition Welcoming Maqam in Berlin 2016. First prize winner of Speech, Text, Silence composition Competition of ensemble Lemniscate in Basel in 2015. Honorary diploma from Sergei Slonimsky composition competition 2015; Gold Coin national award for best art school diploma from Iranian ministry of culture are among his accolades and awards.
Photo: Rene Jakobson