Winner of the 2024 Hoefer Prize, Shahab Paranj is a composer, conductor, instrumentalist, and educator. Born and raised in Iran, he holds degrees in music composition from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Manhattan School of Music, and the University of California, Los Angeles. He is recognized as a pioneering figure among his generation of Iranian composers, known for integrating Persian and Western compositional techniques.

 

Praised by the San Francisco Examiner as "extraordinary" and lauded by composer John Adams for his "unique voice," Paranj's music diverges from Eurocentric conventions, drawing inspiration from the rich traditions of Persian music.

 

His recent commissions include works for ensembles such as the Delirium Musicum, Russian String Orchestra, Intersection Contemporary Music Ensemble, Long Beach Opera, Jâca Duo, Aleron Trio, San Francisco New Music Ensemble, One Great City Duo, MSM Symphony Orchestra, and the International Low Brass Trio. His versatility also extends to film scoring, with his original score for Dressage earning recognition when it was nominated for the 2018 Berlin Film Festival's Generation category.
As a conductor, Paranj led The Iranshahr Orchestra in the recording of Songs of Love and Loss by Richard Danielpour, featuring the acclaimed soprano Hila Plitmann, released by Naxos in 2024.

 

A virtuoso tombak player, Paranj has performed, recorded, and collaborated with distinguished artists and ensembles, including the legendary Mohammad Reza Shajarian, the Tehran Symphony Orchestra, and the Pacific Symphony under the baton of Carl St. Clair. For over 15 years, he has been a dedicated collaborator with the celebrated Shams Ensemble. In addition to his mastery of Persian percussion, he was a member of the Iran National TV and Radio Symphony Orchestra as a cellist from 2003 to 2007.
 

As a scholar, Paranj's primary research explores the Iranian Avazi style. He has presented his work at prominent conferences, including the joint annual meeting of SEM, AMS, and SMT in 2022. His contributions have been formally recognized by the Association of Professors and Scholars of Iranian (2024), Mehr Humanitarian Society (2010) and the City and County of San Francisco (2011).

Since 2023, Paranj has served as a faculty member and the director of the Center for Iranian Music at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music. He is also the founder and music director of The Iranshahr Orchestra and the artistic director of du vert à l’infini, a contemporary music festival in the Franche-Comté region of France.