Biography
"An outstanding pianist." Alireza Mashayekhi, composer
"...such speed, agility, range of motion both spatially and dynamically—stamina and to spare. It felt as though I was listening to a reincarnation of Liszt in this 80 minute improvisation." Nancy Garniez, pianist
"Grand, tectonic, torrential as the forces of nature unleashed, yet fully under control." Nader Ardalan, architect
"...such speed, agility, range of motion both spatially and dynamically—stamina and to spare. It felt as though I was listening to a reincarnation of Liszt in this 80 minute improvisation." Nancy Garniez, pianist
"Grand, tectonic, torrential as the forces of nature unleashed, yet fully under control." Nader Ardalan, architect
Ramin Amir Arjomand is an Iranian-American pianist, improviser, composer, conductor, and teacher based in Brooklyn. His music blurs distinctions between composition and improvisation, demanding in each the spontaneity as well as the level of formal intelligence often associated with one or the other individually and exclusively. His playing draws as much on a 19th-century European approach to piano resonance as it does on the unfettered sensibility of American avant-garde jazz. Beneath the surface lies a musical ethos that quietly echoes the Iranian dastgah tradition.
Arjomand's research has focused on the polyphonic technique of 15th-century Franco-Flemish composers. His pedagogical essay "On Contrapuntal Practice" is based largely on his research into this music. His interest in vocal music and in speech as music has led to a wide variety of concert, electroacoustic, and music theater works that experiment with the human voice in different ways.
Arjomand has worked extensively as a composer, pianist, lecturer, and musical adviser for modern dance. He has worked to develop collaborative models in which composer and choreographer can trust one another to work freely and independently toward a common goal. His approach to dance theater composition emphasizes contrapuntal relationships between sound and movement.
Arjomand is the recipient of awards from New York Foundation for the Arts, the Alice M. Ditson Fund, the FACE Foundation, and the New York City Artist Corps. His music has been presented by ensembles and soloists in venues throughout the United States, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. A highly sought-after teacher, he is currently on the faculty at Columbia University and the Steinhardt School at New York University, where he is the recipient of the 2022-2023 Steinhardt Teaching Excellence Award. He maintains a private teaching studio in Brooklyn.
Listen to an interview with Ramin Amir Arjomand on The Earfull, where he discusses his early life in Tehran, the secrets of counterpoint, and truth and trust in performance.
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