About

Sepehr Pirasteh (He/They/او) is a composer, conductor, and interdisciplinary artist born and raised in Shiraz, Iran. His compositions draw on Persian classical and folk traditions, as well as contemporary classical music vocabularies, to express his deep concerns and fears about the political and social realities of the world we live in. Through his art, Sepehr reflects on his personal journey as an immigrant and his commitment to activism. His works have been commissioned and performed by ensembles, including the American Composers Orchestra, Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra, Lake County Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Civic Symphony, San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, Pacific Chamber Orchestra, MISE-EN, Argus String Quartet, PRISM Saxophone Quartet, Network for New Music, Horizon Ensemble, Arcana New Music Ensemble, ENA Chamber Opera, Pushback Ensemble, Unheard-of Ensemble, Orquestra Criança Cidadã, Hole in the Floor, and members of the Fifth House Ensemble. His music has been performed internationally in Argentina, Brazil, Iran, and the United States. Sepehr has also received fellowships from Harvard University's Fromm Foundation (Composers Conference) and the Presser Foundation. He has been featured in programs such as the American Composers Orchestra’s EarShot Readings, the CCI Initiative, and the Fresh Inc Festival. His works have also been presented by Beth Morrison Project at National Sawdust, American Composers’ Forum-Philadelphia, and Philadelphia Fringe Festival. 

As a conductor, Sepehr has served as the artistic director and conductor of Temple University’s New Music Ensemble, Temple Composers’ Orchestra (TCO), Vintage Community Orchestra in Michigan, Central Michigan University’s New Music Ensemble, CMU Pierrot Ensemble, and Concert Orchestra. Sepehr has also served as a guest conductor for the Philadelphia Civic Symphony, ENA Ensemble, and Alter Ego Chamber Opera Company. Throughout his conducting career, Sepehr has been deeply passionate about premiering new works by underrepresented composers.

As an educator, Sepehr currently serves as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Composition and Director of Bates College Orchestra in Maine. Previously, he has taught at Temple University, Jackson Community College, and served as a faculty member in summer music festivals such as Wildflowers Composers Festival, All City Orchestra, and Play on Philly.

Sepehr pursued his Ph.D. in Music Composition from Temple University. He earned his M.M. in Orchestral Conducting and Composition from Central Michigan University, following his B.A. in Composition from Tehran University of Art in Iran. Sepehr's research focuses on political music in Iran and the Iranian diaspora, the dynamics of hegemony in performance arts, and the intersection of art and activism.

Sepehr is based in Philadelphia and plays Persian Kamancheh. He is the co-founder and artistic director of Shiraz Ensemble, a contemporary Iranian music ensemble that blends contemporary classical and experimental music with Iranian traditional music. They have performed at Princeton University's Center for Iranian Studies, Yale University's New Music New Haven Series, Temple University's Cybersound, Icebox Project Space, Asian Arts Initiative, and have collaborated with arts organizations such as the Bowerbird, Fire Museum Presents, Le Mondo (Baltimore), and Market Street Music (Delaware).