Composer

Estonian-based composer and conductor, Arash has studied at, among others, The Royal College of Music in Stockholm, Hochschule für Musik Basel, University of Huddersfield and Estonian Academy of Muisc and Theatre; and has earned degrees in piano, double bass, orchestral conducting and composition specialties.

A former research residency fellow at Institut für Elektronische Musik und Akustik- IEM Graz, he was the 2020 recipient of the Jonathan Harvey Scholarship and a teaching assistant at the University of Huddersfield, England from 2020-2023.

Yazdani’s music is characterized by his application of acoustic and psycho-acoustic phenomena on the fabric of music and his creation of unique auditory experiences with the use of instruments.
His music has featured in the Schwetzinger SWR Festspiele, Musikprotokoll Graz, Warsaw Autumn, Ostrava Music Days, MIXTUR Barcelona, MATA festival New York, IGNM Basel, CrossRoads festival Salzburg, Darmstadt ferienkurse, World Saxophone Congress, L’Archipel festival, Voix Nouvelles Royaumont, ReMusik Festival St. Petersburg, Vertixe Vigo, ISCM world music days festival, among others.

Yazdani is the artistic director of Sound Plasma, a music festival for alternative intonations in Berlin and Tallinn, and the artistic director and conductor of the Ensemble for New Music Tallinn. As a guest conductor he has worked with several ensembles and orchestras including Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra, NeuverBand Ensemble, defunensemble, Sonemus Ensemble, Ensemble U.

Arash 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. In 2023 a double-CD album of his music, titled “Propagation of Uncertainty” was published by Kairos. There are a growing number of released albums with Yazdani’s conducting under Kairos and other labels.

His 2022 piece “Hurreh” for 12 voices, is selected by Estonian National broadcast to represent Estonia in the International Rostrum of Composers 2022. His 2018 orchestra piece, NAKBA, was selected to represent Estonia in the International Rostrum of Composers 2019 by Estonian Public Broadcasting.

Arash 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.