Roozbeh Nafisi

• Personal Backgrounds:
  • Born December 22, 1979
  • U.S.A. and Iran National
  • Communicating in English, German, Farsi and Japanese

• Education:
  • PhD candidate in Musical Acoustics, Universität für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Wien, Vienna, Austria, 2012-present.
  • Postgradual Certificate of Electro-Acoustical Composition, Uni. für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Wien, Vienna, Austria, 2013.
  • Master’s Degree in Music Composition, Bruckner Private University, Linz, Austria, 2012.
  • Composition research at Kunitachi College of Music,Tokyo, Japan, 2008-2011.
  • Bachelors of Music in Composition and Theory with a minor in German, California State University, Sacramento, California, 2006.
  • Associate of Science Degree in Mathematics and Physical Sciences, American River College, Sacramento, California, 2006.
  • Composition Study under Prof. Norbert Fröhlich, Staatliche Hochschule für Musik Trossingen, Germany, 2005-2006.
  • Composition and Piano Study under Prof. Joe Gilman, American River College, Sacramento, California, 2001-2003.
  • Receiving santur lessons, Tehran, Iran, 1988-2000 (1998-2000 under Ardavan Kamkar and 1988-1998 under Mahmoud Safdari).
  • Individual sessions namely with: Karlheinz Essl, Christoph Cech, Michio Kitazume, Andrew Imbrie, Leo Eylar, Mathias Spahlinger,
  Pauline Oliveros, Daniel Barenboim, Hanspeter Kyburz, Kui Dong, Norio Fukushi, and Toshio Hosokawa, 2000- present
• Innovations:
  • Acoustics: development and production of half-santur*, Iran and Austria, 2014.
  • Music theory and composition: development of glissando pivot harmony* to specially fit microtonal contexts, Austria, 2013
  • Expansion of Iranian modal environments: Introducing Bee-gaah *, an avant-garde modal system, USA, 2007.
  • Performance: introducing various extended santur techniques (i.e. special bowings and hammerings), Germany and USA, 2006.
• Professional Activities:
  • Producing theoretical and applied original works* mainly involving music composition and world music. A brief selection:
  - Daschti (a winner of Mahler Intl. Composition Prize 2013, premiered August 25, 2013, Klagenfurt, Max Brand Ensemble),
  - Sohrab and Rustam for choir, santur, and trumpet commissioned by the Master Singers, Sacramento, California, 2003.
  • Regular concertizing as santur player. Such as: Performance at Ministery of Culture of France hosted by F. Mitterrand, 2010.
• Teaching Experience:
  • Guest lecturer of World music at various music schools in USA, Japan, Slovakia and Iran, 2004-present.
  • Teacher of composition and Iranian improvisation on the santur at private music studio, 1999-present.
  • Substitute teacher at various public schools of Sacramento County, California, 2006-2008.
• Awards:
  • VENIA International Composition Prize, Vienna, Austria, 2016.
  • Gustav Mahler International Composition Prize, Klagenfurt, Austria, 2013.
  • Stipend for acoustical studies, Universität für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Wien, Vienna, Austria, 2013.
  • The Japanese Government’s Monbukagakusho Scholarship for Music Composition, Tokyo, Japan, 2008-2011.
  • Baden-Würtemberg Scholarship for composition, Trossingen, Germany, 2005-2006.
  • Award on from the top program, Sacramento Master Singers, Sacramento, California, 2003.
  • Scholarship for composition and piano studies, American River College, Sacramento, California, 2002-2003.
  • Mathematics and Science Campus Scholarship, American River College, Sacramento, California, 2002-2003.   

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*Further details can be provided upon request.