Mahyar Hemati
*17 July 1985
Works by Mahyar Hemati
Biography
Mahyar Hemati (b.1985) in Iran. He started music at the age of thirteen with self-taught playing classical guitar and learning music theory. He attended the Tehran Conservatory in 2008 in the field of composition and after graduation, continued his educations on his own, alongside some composition workshops and master classes
In 2012, he attended a classical guitar workshop in Finland (Sibelius Academy) under Dr. Jukka Savijoki and a composition workshop (focusing on spectral music) under Dr. Rakel Tikkanen. In 2016, he participated in a composition and conducting master class under Prof, Ferdinando Nazzaro in Ukraine and in 2022, he took part in a composition master class under Dr. Joseph Sowa (United States)
His first album “Najva” that included Classical Guitar’s standard repertoire was published by Mahriz Recordings in 2009. In 2015, he has recorded his second album “Goorah” which included various pieces by Iranian contemporary composers, published by “Arqanoon Records” in Iran and “Suddenly Listen” foundation in Canada. As a guest composer, he was invited to several festivals, such as Parma Music Festival in the United States in 2014 and the SNIM Music Festival in Austria in 2015. He also received commissions from a number of ensembles and performers and institutions such as: Tbilisi Opera House (Georgia) Contempora Ensemble (Macedonia) Tania Sikeliano (Greece), and others.
In 2016, he has won the second prize in the Orient/Occident International Composition Competition (Ukraine) for his piece "Voyage" for Violin and orchestra (no first prize winner was assigned). The score of Voyage also has been published by the Italian Publishing firm "Aldebaran Edition"
In 2018, His composition for String Orchestra “Requiem for the Past” has won the second prize (no first prize winner was assigned) in Musica per Archi International Composition Competition in Ukraine. In 2019, he has published his third album “Mimesis” by the Iranian-Canadian Recording label Pardis Records which included his chamber and orchestral works. In 2020, Mimesis has been selected as the best classical album by the Iran House of Music. This album also earned the first prize at the Fajr International Festival in Iran in 2021 (the Barbad Award), but the artist refused to accept the prize out of protest because it was given out by the Islamic government and so served as a tool for its propaganda. In 2022, he won the Honorable Mention award in the First Annual Wizarding School Composers Competition in England for his piece “Adynamia No. 1” for Mixed-Gender String Quartet.
H has collaborated with several ensembles and orchestra such as: Georgia Modern Ensemble, Ball State University Guitar Quartet, Budapest String Quartet, Lviv Symphonic orchestra, Tbilisi Opera Camerata, etc and conductors such as Ferdinando Nazzaro (Italy) Roman Kreslenko (Ukraine) Levan Jagaevi (Georgia) Cesare Della Sciucca (Italy) and etc. He is a member of the Composers Association of Macedonia (Socom) and Lviv Philharmonic Society and Individuals and organizations like Southern Illinois University, Marc Migó (doctorate in composition from the Julliard School of Music in New York), John Corigliano (American Pulitzer Prize winner), David Lang (American Pulitzer award winner and Oscar nominated composer), PARMA Recordings (American Grammy award nominated publication) have praised, referred to, and recommended his works as well.
About the music
I do believe that composing is not something separable from the life experience of the composer. I actually "lived" every piece that I have written so far and I think it's and essential price that artist must pay, in order to create a genuine piece of art. From this vantage point, I believe "Everything"— can be turned and transformed into music! including myths, tails, philosophical terms, certain life experiences and etc. In general I am counting myself a contemporary-classical composer but I do not bound myself to a certain genre or style. I have done years of researches over the ancient Iranian music but the way I use it in my works is completely against its very own nature! and so on about the western classical music's techniques and materials.
I do believe that being "Contemporary" is to gain the ability of interpretation. Nothing has a certain and firm meaning! everything can and must be interpreted by each individual and that is what I seek in my compositions. To consider musical elements and techniques as raw materials that the composer may be the one who have to give them "meaning" according to the context.
24 Seconds-Threnody for the Victims of Flight 752 (for mezzo-soprano, symphonic orchestra, tape and video motion)
Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 (PS752/AUI752) was a scheduled international passenger flight from Tehran to Kyiv operated by Ukraine International Airlines (UIA). On 8 January 2020, the Boeing 737-800 operating the route was shot down by two missiles, shortly after takeoff from Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport by the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) All 176 passengers (including fifteen children) that most of them were Iranian, and the entire flight crew were killed. The IRGC launched the second missile, 24 seconds after the first strike!
This entire disaster and exclusively that 24 seconds in which the passengers were still alive, but they knew they are going to die was the main source of inspiration for me to write this piece. For the tape part, I am going to use both the Victims voice samples (voice-messages, etc.) in some certain parts of the piece and also their families voice samples in some other parts of the piece. For this purpose, whenever I finished this piece and could make the essential arrangements for getting it performed, I will contact The Association of Families of Flight PS752 Victims for their participation and collaboration. If you are interested and think you can participate in this project as well (by any means) please contact me for further and specific details.
