Born and raised in Tehran, Iran, Aida Shirazi is a composer and performer of acoustic and electroacoustic music. In her works for solo instruments, voice, ensemble, orchestra, and electronics, Shirazi mainly focuses on timbre for organizing structures inspired by language and literature. She holds a PhD in Composition and Music Theory from the University of California, Davis and is a 2022 graduate of IRCAM’s Cursus Program in Composition and Computer Music. Shirazi is a co-founder and co-artistic director of the Iranian Female Composers Association (IFCA.)
Niloufar Shiri’s musical world lies at the intersection of classical Iranian music, contemporary music, and improvisation. Her focus revolves around exploring the concept of displacement in relation to familiar and distant environments. Her music closely examines textural and timbral spaces, drawing inspiration from staggered pitch relations found in the Radif, as well as bird sounds, noise, and feedback. Her unique and radical approach to kamancheh performance significantly expands the sonic capabilities of the instrument and places her at the forefront of its practice.
In addition to performing solo sets, the artists will also play a set as a duo.
Curated for Nonsequitur’s NonSeq series by Naeim Rahmani.