Anahita Abbasi
About
I am an internationally active composer, educator, and curator. I studied composition at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz from 2009 to 2014, where I worked with Beat Furrer, Pierluigi Billone, and Clemens Gadenstätter. I later completed an M.A. in Composition at the University of California San Diego in 2017 and continued in the Ph.D. program in Composition, working with Rand Steiger, Miller Puckette, Marcos Balter, and Lei Liang. In 2024, I received the Grand Prix in Composition from the Académie des Beaux-Arts in Paris.
My music has been commissioned and performed internationally by institutions and ensembles including Radio France, Ensemble Modern, the International Contemporary Ensemble, Schallfeld Ensemble, and the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra. Recent projects include the premiere of PRISME by the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France at Festival Présences in Paris in February 2026, a portrait concert with Ensemble der gelbe Klang in Munich in 2022, and performances at festivals and venues including Darmstadt, IRCAM, Lincoln Center, the Wiener Konzerthaus, and the Southbank Centre. I have also served as a composer-in-residence at Fondation Singer-Polignac in Paris and as Composer in Focus for Musica nova Helsinki 2027.
From 2014 to 2021, I taught at the University of California San Diego in the Departments of Music and Linguistics. My teaching included composition, music theory, harmony, counterpoint, ear training, analysis, instrumentation, orchestration, creative workshops, and German language courses. I have also taught private and group lessons, both online and in person, and served as Composition Faculty for Ensemble Evolution with the International Contemporary Ensemble in New York in 2022 and as a Composition Mentor for the Horizont Étendu Academy. My lessons are suitable for students who want focused guidance in composition, orchestration, score development, portfolio preparation, applications, and artistic growth.
Teaching Style
My teaching is highly individual and begins with the student’s own artistic interests, materials, and questions. Rather than imposing a single compositional method, I help students clarify their ideas, strengthen the relationship between concept and sound, and develop practical strategies for realizing their work. Lessons may include close score reading, listening, discussion, compositional exercises, orchestration, instrumental techniques, and detailed feedback on works in progress.
I am especially interested in helping students develop an individual musical language, work confidently with timbre, texture, gesture, notation, and extended techniques, and communicate effectively with performers. I can also support students with portfolios, artistic statements, applications, interviews, and preparation for festivals, universities, grants, and professional opportunities. My approach is supportive, rigorous, and collaborative, with clear goals shaped around each student’s level and needs.
Credentials & Affiliations
Education
Ph.D. Candidate in Composition, University of California San Diego — academic work completed in 2021; defense scheduled for December 2026
M.A. in Composition, University of California San Diego, 2017
B.A in Composition and Music Theory, University of Music and Performing Arts Graz, 2009–2014, with Beat Furrer, Pierluigi Billone, and Clemens Gadenstätter
Selected Teaching Positions
Lecturer / Associate-In and Teaching Associate, University of California San Diego, Departments of Music and Linguistics, 2014–2021
Composition Faculty, Ensemble Evolution with the International Contemporary Ensemble, New York, 2022
Composition Mentor, Horizont Étendu Academy, France
Private and group instruction in composition, orchestration, music theory, analysis, ear training, piano, and creative practice since 2018
Selected Guest Lectures and Workshops
Guest Lecturer, Hunter College and The CUNY Graduate Center
Guest Lecturer, Bilkent University
Guest Lecturer, University of Leipzig
Guest Lecturer, University of Minnesota
Guest Lecturer, University of Washington School of Music
Guest Lecturer, Arkansas State University
Guest Lecturer, Harvard University
Guest Lecturer, University of Chicago
Guest Lecturer, University of Missouri
Guest Lecturer, MMC / Moaser Academy
Creative workshops and masterclasses in the United States, Europe, Turkey, and Iran
Professional Affiliations and Leadership
Co-founder, Schallfeld Ensemble, Graz
Co-founder, Iranian Female Composers Association, New York
Former Artist-in-Residence, Fondation Singer-Polignac, Paris, 2022–2025
Composer in Focus, Musica nova Helsinki 2027
Selected Jury and Adjudication Experience
Adjudicator, ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Awards, 2023 and 2024
Adjudicator / Reading Panel, BabelScores, 2022 and 2023
Adjudicator, Score Follower Composition Competition, 2021 and 2022
Adjudicator, Manhattan School of Music Percussion Ensemble Composition Competition, 2020
Selected Awards, Fellowships, and Residencies
Grand Prix in Composition, Académie des Beaux-Arts, Paris, 2024
New Music USA Creator Fund, 2025
ASCAP Plus Awards, 2021–2025
ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Award
Winner, Acht Brücken International Composition Competition, Cologne, 2021
Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik recognition connected to Mahan Esfahani’s Hyperion album MUSIQUE?
Ucross Foundation Residency, Wyoming
Civitella Ranieri Fellowship Residency, Italy
Royaumont Académie Voix Nouvelles, France, 2025
Selected Professional Experience
Commissions and performances with Radio France, Ensemble Modern, International Contemporary Ensemble, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra, Avanti! Orchestra, Meitar Ensemble, TAK Ensemble, Ensemble Maja, Long Beach Opera, and Schallfeld Ensemble
Performances at Festival Présences, Darmstadt, IRCAM, Lincoln Center, Wiener Konzerthaus, Southbank Centre, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Mostly Mozart Festival, Klang Festival, and Musica nova Helsinki
Selected Recordings
MUSIQUE?, Mahan Esfahani, Hyperion Records
New Focus Recordings release with the Iranian Female Composers Association and Cleveland Chamber Symphony
Mahoor Institute of Culture and Arts recording of contemporary Iranian music
Broken Frames Syndicate album release
noise a noise 21.1
