By Sepehr Pirasteh Being a composer can feel a bit like living in an artist’s cave. We spend countless hours absorbed in our own creative worlds, meticulously crafting something that eventually blossoms into art. However, my fellowship at The Presser Foundation pushed me to crack the walls of my creative isolation, forcing me to step…
By Sepehr Pirasteh Philadelphia is home to a vibrant music scene, enriched by organizations such as Wildflower Composers, Play On Philly, as well as collaborations like All-City Orchestra’s partnership with Network for New Music. These programs have made significant strides in nurturing young composers by offering them platforms to explore and express their creativity. As…
By Sepehr Pirasteh, Graduate Music Fellow As the Graduate Music Fellow at the Presser Foundation, I had the opportunity to interview Badie Khaleghian, one of the recipients of the Graduate Music Award and ask about his project, Sounds of Freedom. Badie is a DMA student at Rice University, and I had been following his artistic…
By Sepehr Pirasteh, Graduate Music Fellow In the ever-evolving landscape of the music field, there’s a growing recognition of the need to diversify concert programs and decolonize our musical repertoire. But how can we effectively navigate this complex terrain? Community engagement emerges as a pivotal strategy in this endeavor. The Presser Foundation hosted a Next…
By Sepehr Pirasteh, Graduate Music Fellow As a Ph.D. student in composition at Temple University, my passion for music goes beyond the classroom. I crave diverse sounds and connections, and my experience as a Graduate Fellow at The Presser Foundation has been nothing short of transformative. In this post, I want to share my journey…
By Sepehr Pirasteh As The Presser Foundation’s Graduate Music Fellow, I have the opportunity to experience various performances hosted by many different music organizations. This month, I chose one of the newest grantee partners of The Presser Foundation, Fire Museum Presents, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting creative music in Philadelphia. After attending two of…
Sepehr Pirasteh is The Presser Foundation’s 2023-24 Graduate Music Fellow. In this post, he shares his experience attending PRISM Quartet Inc.’s most recent concert and collaboration with composer Susie Ibarra and discusses why commissioning new music is so important. By Sepehr Pirasteh Background: About PRISM Quartet PRISM Quartet is a renowned chamber ensemble in…