Chamber

Elegy
for Violin and Cello
Year: 2025

Elegy for violin and cello was written as a musical tribute to the innocent Iranian civilians whose lives were taken during the twelve-day war between Israel and Iran in June 2025. It is a contemplation of loss, resilience, and the space of stillness that lives in mourning. Elegy reveals as an intimate conversation between the violin and cello, in lyrical lines and purposeful dissonance, and expresses a range of sorrow with longing for peace. It is written as a personal act of commemoration, as well as a reminder to nourish our humanity during times of violence.

The piece is written in the key area of D Esfahan (with one B half-flat in its key signature), one of the common modes of traditional Persian music. The non-metered, improvisatory-like melodic style of the piece draws inspiration from the performance practices of the Kamancheh—a prominent bowed string instrument in Middle Eastern music, particularly within Persian traditions (see an example). The use of ornamentation, expressive articulations, and varied bowing techniques in this work seeks to capture the subtle timbral nuances and phrasing characteristic of the Kamancheh idiom.

Swan Song
for Cello and Piano
Year: 2025

The piece is inspired by “Swan Song,” a poem by the Persian poet Mehdi Hamidi Shirazi (1914-1986). It offers a haunting meditation on love, mortality, and the myths surrounding the swan’s final song.

They say when the time comes for a swan to die,
it goes where other swans have gone to die.
They say as the last night begins to fall,
it trails behind the setting sun to die.
…
(Translation by Armen Davoudian)

Rooted in an old belief, the swan’s voice is said to break its long silence only twice: once in the moment of love, and once in the face of death. In these rare and fleeting songs, love and farewell become one.

Humā
for String Quartet
Year: 2023

The Humā, a mythical bird in Iranian legends, is renowned for never touching the ground, perpetually stays in the sky. Resembling a phoenix, it burns itself and comes back to life. This magnificent creature, symbolizing compassion and fortune, is believed to bring auspiciousness through its shadow.

This music composition serves as a conceptual representation of this majestic bird and its mysterious characteristics, utilizing the renowned Humāyun modal scale in Iranian music (the term “Humāyun” directly translates to “Humā-like.”)

Fire Dance
for Mixed Chamber Ensemble
Instrumentation: 1 Flute, 1 Clarinet in Bb, 1 Basson, 1 Horn in F, 1 Trumpet in Bb, Cymbals, 1 Triangle, 1 Marimba, 2 Violins, 1 Viola, 1 Violincello.
Year: 2023

“Fire Dance” represents an exploration of Iranian musical elements, notably incorporating the Chahārgāh modal structure in the second theme, as utilizing in Iranian music with quarter tones, but in this piece, it is used in equal temperament tuning system.

A distinguishing feature of this composition lies in its incorporation of diverse rhythms and meters, contributing to a rich and occasionally complex musical tapestry. Derived from traditional Iranian music, the rhythmic cycles employed in the piece consist of two distinct patterns: Hazaj (12/ 8 meter, articulated as 1-2-3-4, 1-2-3, 1-2-3, 1-2) in the first theme and Fākhti (10/4 meter, subdivided as 1-2-3-4, 1-2, 1-2-3-4, 1-2-3-4, 1-2, 1-2-3-4) in the second theme.

In the Hands of Wind
for Woodwind Quartet
Instrumentation: 1 Flute, 1 Oboe, 1 Clarinet in Bb, 1 Bassoon
Year: 2021

In the Hands of Wind was written for woodwind quartet as a new experience of composing in ”modal” structures rather than ”tonal”.