Ahmad Pejman, the renowned Iranian composer and musician, passed away on August 29, 2025, in Los Angeles at the age of 90. As one of the most influential figures in Iran’s modern classical music, Pejman left behind a legacy that bridged Persian musical traditions with Western forms such as symphony, opera, ballet, oratorio, and rhapsody.
Born in 1935 in Lar, Fars Province, Pejman began his musical journey as a teenager, studying violin with Heshmat Sanjari and harmony and theory with Hossein Nassehi. In 1964, he received a scholarship from the Ministry of Culture and Arts and moved to Vienna, where he studied composition at the Academy of Music under renowned teachers like Thomas Christian David and Hans Jelinek. Some of his early works were performed by the Vienna Radio Chamber Orchestra during this period. Later, he continued his studies in electronic music and composition at Columbia University in New York.
The First Persian Opera on Stage
Pejman holds the distinction of being the first Iranian composer to write an opera. His opera “Jashn-e Dehghan” (The Peasant’s Festival) was commissioned for the opening of Tehran’s Roudaki Hall in 1967 and is remembered as the first staged Persian opera. He later composed “Delavar-e Sahand” (The Hero of Sahand), inspired by the legendary resistance of Babak Khorramdin, and “Samandar.” In 1975, he also created the ballet “Roshanaei” (Light) for the National Ballet of Iran, staged at Roudaki Hall. These works highlighted both his romantic inclination and his ability to weave epic and dramatic narratives into music.
Between Iran and the World
After completing his studies, Pejman returned to Iran in 1970, teaching at the Tehran Conservatory and University of Tehran. Alongside his teaching, he deepened his research on Iranian folk and traditional music, while producing orchestral works such as his celebrated Rhapsody, first performed in Vienna. Following the 1979 Revolution, he briefly remained in Iran but emigrated in the early 1980s, eventually settling in Los Angeles, where he continued composing and occasionally collaborated with Iranian musicians and singers, including ventures into pop music during the 1980s.
Music for Cinema
Pejman also made a lasting mark on Iranian cinema. His first score was for the 1973 film “Prince Ehtejab”, based on Houshang Golshiri’s novel. Over the following decades, he collaborated with acclaimed directors including Bahman Farmanara, Rakhshan Banietemad, and Majid Majidi. Notable works include scores for “The Blue Scarf,” “Smell of Camphor, Fragrance of Jasmine,” “House on Water,” “Baran,” and “The Willow Tree.” He won the Crystal Simorgh twice for Best Original Score at the Fajr International Film Festival and received four Golden Simorgh awards from the Iranian House of Cinema.
A Musical Language of Fusion
Critics describe Pejman’s musical language as a synthesis of Iranian motifs and modes with Western harmony, orchestration, and form. He himself often stated: “The foundation of my music is Iranian, but harmony and orchestration are essentially Western. I have always tried to preserve an Iranian color and spirit within a global musical language.” His work evolved in stages, from luminous and simple melodies to increasingly complex and integrated forms, reflecting both his technical mastery and his search for a distinctly Iranian voice in modern classical music.
An Enduring Legacy
Over six decades of creation, Ahmad Pejman’s oeuvre spanned opera, ballet, orchestral works, children’s music, pop arrangements, and numerous film scores. As a trailblazer who composed the first staged Persian opera and an artist who strived to marry Iranian heritage with universal forms, his contributions remain invaluable.
His passing marks the end of an era, but his music continues to resonate, ensuring his presence in Iran’s cultural memory and inspiring future generations of composers and musicians.
