Kian Ravaei

Composer

Composer Kian Ravaei (b. 1999) takes tone painting to a new level, synthesizing diverse inspirations into evocative musical portraits. Whether he is composing a string quartet inspired by wonders of the natural world, electronic music that evokes the pulsating energy of late-night dance clubs, or a symphonic poem that draws from the Iranian music of his ancestral heritage, he takes listeners on a spellbinding tour of humanity’s most deeply felt emotions.

From Carnegie Hall to the Concertgebouw, musicians such as Grammy Award winner Fleur Barron, Performance Today Classical Woman of the Year Lara Downes, and New York Philharmonic clarinetist Anthony McGill have brought Ravaei’s music to global stages. His works have been commissioned by prominent chamber music organizations—among them Seattle Chamber Music Society and Chamber Music Northwest—as well as the American Composers Orchestra, where he is currently a resident CoLABoratory Fellow. Notable honors include a Copland House CULTIVATE Fellowship, a Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra Composer Teaching Artist Fellowship, and commissioning grants from Chamber Music America, New Music USA, and the Barlow Endowment.

Born to Iranian immigrants, Ravaei maintains close ties to the Iranian community in his hometown of Los Angeles. He was a featured lecturer at the UCLA Iranian Music Lecture Series, where he discussed his multicultural upbringing and its deep-rooted influence on his music. With numerous commercial recordings, Ravaei has earned critical acclaim from outlets including Gramophone, Bandcamp Daily, and I CARE IF YOU LISTEN. Millions of classical radio listeners have heard his music on the airwaves, featured in award-winning programs such as APM’s Performance Today and WNYC’s New Sounds.

Ravaei counts celebrated composers Valerie Coleman, John Corigliano, and Richard Danielpour among his teachers, and holds degrees in composition from UCLA and Indiana University. He is currently a C.V. Starr Doctoral Fellow at The Juilliard School.