Iranian composer, Ramin Akhavijou, graduated from the Art University of Tehran with a Master’s degree in Music Composition and later moved to the United States in 2017 to continue his studies at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) where he received his second Master’s degree in Music Composition. He is currently a Ph.D. student in Music Composition and Theory at the University of Pittsburgh where his focus is Music Perception and its relation to his compositions. His principal teachers have been Reza Vali, Leonardo Balada, Eric Moe, Mathew Rosenblum, Jesse Stiles, and Amy Williams. The dialectic interrelation between sounds has always been one of his main concerns and motivators for his compositional work and research. He is scientifically investigating this interrelation through various interdisciplinary projects. His passion for science and technology has led him to take diverse compositional paths that are reflected in his wide range of compositions.
Akhavijou’s works have been performed in many countries by various ensembles, and orchestras such as Brno Philharmonic Orchestra, CMU Philharmonic Orchestra, JACK Quartet, Argus Quartet, Carpe Diem String Quartet, Phoenix String Quartet, TAK, Da Capo, Duo Cortona, NAT28, Kamraton, CMU New Music ensemble, and by soloists such as Thomas Piercy, David Danel, Yumi Suehiro, Aurélienne Brauner, Phoebe Robertson, Sarah Steranka, Mark Micchelli, Devon Tipp, and many more. He has received numerous honors, prizes, and commissions including the Iranian Music Association Prize (Tehran Iran, 2013), ACIMC Award (Paris France, 2014), IMHM prize (London England, 2014), Iranian Music Association Prize (Tehran Iran, 2015), ConTempora Award, Association of Macedonia (Skopje Macedonia, 2015), Orient/Occident Award (Lviv Ukraine, 2015), ABLAZE Records Award (Cincinnati USA, 2016), Bruno Maderna Award (Lviv Ukraine, 2016), NAT28 (Pittsburgh USA, 2017), CMU String Quartet Prize (Pittsburgh USA, 2018), Gindroz Prize (Pittsburgh USA, 2018), CMU Orchestra Composition Competition Prize (Pittsburgh USA, 2019), Co-Opera (Pittsburgh USA, 2019), artist-in-residence Physics & Astronomy (Pittsburgh USA, 2021), Alter Ego Chamber Opera (Philadelphia USA, 2022).
Akhavijou has received some fellowships and scholarships such as FEZANA, Art & Science, A&S, Andrew Carnegie, and Czechoslovak Nationality Room. His music has been published by Ablaze Records, Aldebaran Editions, and Sound Silence Thought. His first opera “languagemachine” was produced by the Pittsburgh Opera Company and performed by the CMU New Music Ensemble in April 2019. He is one of the directors of CFIM (Center for Iranian Music) at Carnegie Mellon University and currently writing his second opera.