Kian Ravaei

Composer Kian Ravaei 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.

Ravaei has collaborated with sought-after artists such as pianist and cultural activist Lara Downes, Grammy nominated violinist Tessa Lark, and New York Philharmonic clarinetist Anthony McGill. Chamber musicians have championed his works, leading to commissions from Chamber Music Northwest—where he was a Protégé Project Composer-in-Residence—as well as Seattle Chamber Music Society and Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival. His rapidly expanding catalog has earned him notable honors including a Copland House CULTIVATE Fellowship, a Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra Composer Teaching Artist Fellowship, a New Music USA Creator Fund Award, and a Barlow Endowment Commission.

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