Alireza Mashayekhi (; born 1940) is an Iranian musician, composer, conductor and academic. He is one of the first composers in Iran to represent avant-garde and electroacoustic music.
Early life and education Mashayekhi was born in Tehran in 1940. After graduating from the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna, he went to Utrecht, the Netherlands, to study electronic and computer music at the Institute of Sonology under Gottfried Michael Koenig.
Career In 1993, with cooperation of the pianist Farima Ghavam-Sadri, Mashayekhi founded the Tehran Contemporary Music Group. In 1995, he established the Iranian Orchestra for New Music,Ibid. which released its first recording in 2002 on Hermes Records.
In 2007, Belgian experimental label Sub Rosa released Persian Electronic Music: Yesterday and Today 1966–2006, a double-disc anthology that includes works by Mashayekhi and Ata Ebtekar. In 2009, Brandon Nickell's Isounderscore label released the vinyl double LP Ata Ebtekar & The Iranian Orchestra for New Music Performing Works of Alireza Mashayekhi "Ornamental". Mashayekhi granted Ebtekar full creative freedom to work with the Iranian Orchestra for New Music to arrange and transform his compositions.
Musical language Mashayekhi's music circulates between a range of styles and genres, from classical compositions inspired by Persian rhythms and Iranian folk music that incorporate meditated repetition and polyphony, to atonal compositions, to works for tape and live electronics that combine traditional Iranian and Western instruments. Mashayekhi calls his compositional practice "Meta-X," referring to the sonic multiplicities present in his work (as contradictions of tonal/atonal, improvised/pre-defined, Persian/non-Persian) that unify within a single musical piece.
Albums Mashayekhi, Alireza. 1970. Shur op. 15. in: Electronic Panorama: prospective 21 siecle (LP). Paris, Tokyo, Utrecht, Warszawa: Philips. Mashayekhi, Alireza. 1974. (LP). Sonata No. 2 for Violin op. 34, Ad Libitum II for Flute, Clarinet, Bass Clarinet and Violoncello op. 48, Development IV for Piano op. 35, Autonom IV for Flute and Percussion op. 26, Music for Three Tombaks op. 37. Tehran: AhangRooz. Mashayekhi, Alireza. 1980. (LP). Symphony No. 3 “An Old-Fashioned Symphony for Computer” op. 76, Mahur III for Computer Generated Sounds and Player(s) op. 72 no. 1, Computer Aesthetic op. 74. in: Computer Music. USA: Retro Records. Mashayekhi, Alireza. 1980. (LP). East-West II op. 80, Yaad op. 66, Chahargah I for Violin and Computer Generated Sounds “Saba” op. 75, Iranian Aesthetic op. 77 no. 2. in: Computer Music. USA: Retro Records. Mashayekhi, Alireza. 1999. Symphonische Musik persischer Komponisten. Philharmonic Orchestra Plovdiv, Tonkünstlerorchester Vorarlberg Streichorchester der Nordböhmischen Philharmonie, oboe Heidrun Pflüger, conducted by Manuchehr Sahbai. Austria: Aryens EMS. Mashayekhi, Alireza. 2001. Interlude for Piano, String Orchestra and Percussion op. 101. Camerata Transsylvanica Budapest, piano Pari Barkeshli, conducted by Manuchehr Sahbai. in: Manuchehr Sahbai conducts compositions by Persian composers. Austria: Aryens EMS. Mashayekhi, Alireza. 2001. Delta for Oboe, String Orchestra and Percussion op. 95. Tonkünstler Orchester Vorarlberg, oboe Heidrun Pflüger, conducted by Manuchehr Sahbai. in: Manuchehr Sahbai conducts compositions by Persian composers. Austria: Aryens EMS. Mashayekhi, Alireza. 2001. Iranian Orchestra for New Music (Cassette). Iranian Orchestra for New Music, piano Ophelia Kombajian, Tar Behzad Khodarahmi, violin Ali Raees Farshid, violoncello Sanam Gharache, Clarinet Sara Tavassoli, conducted by Alireza Mashayekhi. Tehran: Hermes. Mashayekhi, Alireza. 2001. Shahrzad: A Tale in Nine Movements for Piano. piano Farimah Ghavamsadri. Tehran: Organon Institute of Culture and Music. Mashayekhi, Alireza. 2001. Interlude for Piano, String Orchestra and Percussion op. 101. Camerata Transsylvanica Budapest, piano Pari Barkeshli, conducted by Manuchehr Sahbai. in: Manuchehr Sahbai conducts works by Persian composers. Tehran: Mahoor Institute of Culture and Art. Mashayekhi, Alireza. 2002. Delta for Oboe, String Orchestra and Percussion op. 95. Tonkünstler Orchester Vorarlberg, oboe Heidrun Pflüger, conducted by Manuchehr Sahbai. in: Manuchehr Sahbai conducts works by Persian composers. Tehran: Mahoor Institute of Culture and Art. Mashayekhi, Alireza. 2002. Iranian Orchestra for New Music. Iranian Orchestra for New Music, piano Ophelia Kombajian, Tar Behzad Khodarahmi, violin Ali Raees Farshid, violoncello Sanam Gharache, Clarinet Sara Tavassoli, conducted by Alireza Mashayekhi. Tehran: Hermes. Mashayekhi, Alireza. 2003. Symphony no. 2: Tehran Symphony. Tehran Symphony Orchestra, NIRT Chamber Orchestra, violin Maziar Zahiroddini, piano Pari Barkeshli, conducted by Farhad Meshkat, Edo Mičič, Ivo Malec. Tehran: Mahoor Institute of Culture and Art. Mashayekhi, Alireza. 2004. Shahrzad: A Tale in Nine Movements for Piano. piano Farimah Ghavamsadri. Tehran: Directorate General of Cultural and Extracurricular Affairs, University of Tehran. Mashayekhi, Alireza. 2004. Music for piano. piano Farimah Ghavamsadri. Tehran: Hermes. Mashayekhi, Alireza. 2005. Happy Electronic Sound. Tehran: music center of Hozeh Honari. Mashayekhi, Alireza. 2005. Persian Gardens for piano and orchestra. National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine, piano Farimah Ghavamsadri, conducted by Volodymyr Sirenko. Tehran: music center of Hozeh Honari. Mashayekhi, Alireza. 2005. Celebration. Iranian Orchestra for New Music, piano Farimah Ghavamsadri, violoncello Sanam Gharache, conducted by Alireza Mashayekhi. Tehran: Hermes. Mashayekhi, Alireza. 2006. Symphony no. 1. National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine, conducted by Volodymyr Sirenko. Tehran: music center of Hozeh Honari. Mashayekhi, Alireza. 2006. Symphony no. 6 for Oboe and Orchestra op. 125, Development V "Nima" op. 39. Philharmonic Orchestra Plovdiv, oboe Heidrun Pflüger, conducted by Manuchehr Sahbai. in: Orchestral works by Persian composers. Austria: Aryens EMS. Mashayekhi, Alireza. 2006. Retrospective III for String Orchestra op. 114, Contradiction II for String Orchestra op. 60. Tonkünstlerorchester Vorarlberg, Severoceske Filharmonie Teplice, conducted by Manuchehr Sahbai. in: Manuchehr Sahbai presents Orchestral works by Persian composers. Austria: Aryens EMS. Mashayekhi, Alireza and Ata Ebtekar. 2006. Persian Electronic Music: Yesterday and Today 1966-2006. Belgium: SUB ROSA. Mashayekhi, Alireza. 2007. Symphony no. 4: Zagros. National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine, conducted by Volodymyr Sirenko. Tehran: music center of Hozeh Honari. Mashayekhi, Alireza. 2007. Symphony no. 5: A Persian Symphony. National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine, conducted by Volodymyr Sirenko. Tehran: music center of Hozeh Honari. Mashayekhi, Alireza. 2007. Symphony no. 8: Apocalypse. National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine, piano Farimah Ghavamsadri, conducted by Volodymyr Sirenko. Tehran: music center of Hozeh Honari. Mashayekhi, Alireza. 2007. Shur op. 15. in: an anthology of noise and electronic music/ fifth a-chronology 1920-2007. Belgium: SUB ROSA. Mashayekhi, Alireza. 2007. Meta-X No. 3 for Violin / Viola, Saxophone, Piano and Percussion op. 161. Ensemble Integral in: Traces of Asia. Eu: Deutschland funk. Mashayekhi, Alireza. 2007. The Blind Owl. Tehran Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Farhad Meshkat. Tehran: Hermes. Mashayekhi, Alireza. 2009. White Cactus. Iranian Orchestra for New Music, violoncello Sanam Gharache, conducted by Alireza Mashayekhi. Tehran: Ravi-Azar-Kimia music Institute. Mashayekhi, Alireza. 2010. Persian Suite. National String Quartet of Ukraine. Tehran: Golcheen. Mashayekhi, Alireza. 2009. Direction East. violoncello Sanam Gharache, flute Kent Eanes. Tehran: Ravi-Azar-Kimia music Institute. Mashayekhi, Alireza. 2012. Mein Mozart - Mein Mahler. National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine, clarinet Yuri Nabytovich, conducted by Volodymyr Sirenko. Tehran: Directorate General of Cultural and Extracurricular Affairs, University of Tehran. Mashayekhi, Alireza. 2013. Symphony no. 9: My world. National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine, conducted by Volodymyr Sirenko. Tehran: Mahoor Institute of Culture and Art. Mashayekhi, Alireza. 2013. Avec Chopin. piano Farimah Ghavamsadri. Tehran: Mahoor Institute of Culture and Art. Mashayekhi, Alireza. 2013. The butterfly of Zagros mountains. piano Farimah Ghavamsadri. Tehran: Mahoor Institute of Culture and Art. Mashayekhi, Alireza. 2013. Gardens of Neyshabur. NIRT Chamber Orchestra, Camerata Transylvania Budapest, Ensemble de Percussion du Conservatoire de Nevers, piano Pari Barkeshli, conducted by Ivo Malec, Manuchehr Sahbai, Alireza Mashayekhi. Tehran: Mahoor Institute of Culture and Art. Mashayekhi, Alireza. 2013. Uranus. National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine, Iranian Orchestra for New Music, flute Mehrdad Gholami, conducted by Volodymyr Sirenko, Saeid Abadi, Saeed Alijany. Tehran: Mahoor Institute of Culture and Art. Mashayekhi, Alireza. 2013. Terrestrial. National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine, New Music Percussion Ensemble, violin Paniz Faryousefi, conducted by Volodymyr Sirenko, Mehrdad Teymoori. Tehran: Mahoor Institute of Culture and Art. Mashayekhi, Alireza. 2013. Tehran Dual. National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine, Iranian Orchestra for New Music, violoncello Sanam Gharache, conducted by Volodymyr Sirenko, Alireza Mashayekhi. Tehran: Mahoor Institute of Culture and Art. Mashayekhi, Alireza. 2014. Darya: A Persian Suite. National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine, Tonkünstlerorchester Vorarlberg Streichorchester der Nordböhmischen Philharmonie, New Music Percussion Ensemble, Pars Recorder Orchestra, oboe Heidrun Pflüger, violoncello Sanam Gharache, piano Parisa Golshan, conducted by Volodymyr Sirenko, Manuchehr Sahbai, Mehrdad Teymoori. Tehran: Mahoor Institute of Culture and Art. Mashayekhi, Alireza. 2014. Meta X. Iranian Orchestra for New Music, violoncello Sanam Gharache, piano Sina Sedghi, Maryam Mehraban, conducted by Alireza Mashayekhi, Saeed Alijani. Tehran: Mahoor Institute of Culture and Art. Mashayekhi, Alireza. 2014. Violin Sonatas. violin Paniz Faryousefi. Tehran: Mahoor Institute of Culture and Art. Mashayekhi, Alireza. 2014. Kristall I for Piano op. 113 no. 1, Kristall II for Piano op. 113 no. 2, Retrospective II for Piano op. 109. piano Elnaz Behkam, Niayesh javaheri. in: New Music in Iran volume 1. Tehran: Mahoor Institute of Culture and Art. Mashayekhi, Alireza. 2015. Celebration. Iranian Orchestra for New Music, piano Farimah Ghavamsadri, violoncello Sanam Gharache, conducted by Alireza Mashayekhi. Tehran: Mahoor Institute of Culture and Art. Mashayekhi, Alireza. 2016. Grand Concerto. National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine, Shargh Chamber Orchestra, Pars Recorder Orchestra, New Music Percussion Ensemble, violoncello Sanam Gharache, conducted by Volodymyr Sirenko, Mehrdad Teymoori. Tehran: Mahoor Institute of Culture and Art. Mashayekhi, Alireza. 2016. The Blind Owl. Tehran Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Farhad Meshkat. Tehran: Mahoor Institute of Culture and Art. Mashayekhi, Alireza. 2016. Music for piano. piano Farimah Ghavamsadri. Tehran: Mahoor Institute of Culture and Art. Mashayekhi, Alireza. 2016. Iranian Orchestra for New Music. Iranian Orchestra for New Music, piano Ophelia Kombajian, Tar Behzad Khodarahmi, violin Ali Raees Farshid, violoncello Sanam Gharache, Clarinet Sara Tavassoli, conducted by Alireza Mashayekhi. Tehran: Mahoor Institute of Culture and Art. Mashayekhi, Alireza. 2016. Spectrum. National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine, conducted by Volodymyr Sirenko. Tehran: Mahoor Institute of Culture and Art.