Shahab Paranj

Dr. Shahab Paranj (Persian شهاب پارنج) (born April 17, 1983, Tehran) is an Iranian-American composer and instrumentalist based in Los Angeles. He is considered one of the pioneers among his generation of 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 worldwid! Paranj is a founder and artistic director of “Du Vert à L’infini” a contemporary music festival in the Franche-Comte region of France. He currently serves as a faculty member at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music. Education Paranj received his first BM in cello performance from the Tehran School of Music and a second Bachelor’s degree in classical composition from San Francisco Conservatory of Music, a Master’s degree from Manhattan School of Music and his Ph.D. at the University of California, Los Angeles, under the tutelage of David Garner, Richard Danielpour, Ian Krouse and David Lefkowitz. Career Acclaimed by The San Francisco Examiner as “impressive”, and by John Adams as “unique”, Paranj blends Persian rhythmic and melodic influences with Western texture and form. R