Biography

Rouzbeh Rafie is a composer originally from Iran and currently based in the Netherlands. Rafie draws inspiration from a diverse range of sources including literature, folk music, and scientific-mathematical notions such as chaos theory. His compositions aim to capture the intricate nature of memory, exploring concepts such as archetypes, remembrance, and the perception of time. Rafie's artistic pursuit is influenced by his exploration of these various sources, allowing him to create a sound that seeks to be both ancient and contemporary.

Education:

He obtained formal musical instruction at the Tehran University of Art with Sharif Lotfi and Kiawasch SahebNassagh. In 2011, he relocated to Rome for further studies under Rosario Mirigliano at Rome Conservatory of Santa Cecilia, before going on in 2015 to study at the National Academy of Santa Cecilia beneath Ivan Fedele from where he eventually graduated in 2018 having attained top marks. He has also taken part in masterclasses ran by Salvatore Sciarrino (2014-2015 Respighi Conservatory), Tolibkhon Shakhidi, Khayyam Mirzazadeh, Tuivo Tulev (2014) and Giacomo Manzoni (2017).

Music:

His music has been heard around the world through concerts and festivals: Parco Della Musica (Rome), Accademia Chigiana summer festival, Nuova Consonanza Festival (Rome), Musica Nova festival (Helsinki), Rome Philharmonic (Sala Casella), Solti hall (Budapest), Roudaki Hall (Tehran), Stockholm Konserthuset, Festival Contrasti (Trento) Dumke recital hall (Salt Lake City, Utah), Mar del Plata Philharmonic (Argentina), New Music Miami Festival, Sala Academica (Rome), Austrian cultural forum (Rome), Collège franco-britannique (Paris) Prague microfest, Finland Kokonainen-Musequal Festival and Naples Dissonanzen Festival.

In 2021 after being chosen as a winner of Kokonainen-Musequal composition competition he has been nominated as "Composer in Residence" at Musequal (Finland) from 2022 to 2024.

Performers:

Ensembles:

Ensemble Contemporanea di Parco Della Musica (ECPM) conducted by Tonino Battista. Ensemble 900 conducted by Carlo Rizzari.

Trio 3:0. Ensemble Imago Sonora. Ensemble Nivak. MP Saxophone Quartet. Ensemble Moto Contrario. Sonar trio. Ensemble Aural. Kokonainen-Musequal Strings Ensemble, NEMA Ensemble.

Clarinet: Paolo Ravaglia, Daniele Dian.

Flute: Bianca Fiorito, Ginevra Petrucci, Sara Minelli, Rebecca Taio, Kelariz Keshavarz, Laura Bersani, Joséphine Olech.

Saxophone: Emanuele Dalmaso

Violin: Patricia Ibáñez, Silvia Mandolini, Rebecca Raimondi, Giorgiana Strazullo, Michela Marchiana, Piercarlo Sacco.

Cello: Kati Raitinen

Guitar: Jacopo Lazzaretti, Petri Kumela, Andrii Brahin

Piano: Tiina Karakorpi, Alexandra Sostmann

Voice : Anousha Nazari, Ali Doostdar

Conductors: Daniele Moroni, Tonino Battista, Carlo Rizzari, Cosimo Abbate.

theatrical productions as a composer: Corinna Lenneis and Éva Patkó.

Awards and recognitions:

- Winner of "Adriana Giannuzzi" study prize - Rome Conservatoire 2013

- Second prize of “G.Petrassi” composition competition (3rd. edition) for solo guitar, Rome 2014

-Selected piece of the eighth New Music Miami Festival (NMMF) call for scores for "Five Haiku duets" - Miami beach 2019

-Selected piece of Concept Ensemble international call for scores, Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University, Australia, 2020

-Selected piece of MicroFest Prague 2020 call for scores.

- Winner of «Ennio Porrino» International Composition Competition- Monte Argentario, Italy, 2020

- First prize of Musequal composition competition, Finland, Helsinki February 2021

-Distinction per category (Instruments and electronics) Prix CIME 2023 for Karân.

Publishing House : Ermes 404