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Ali (Alexander) Rahbari (Persian: علی رهبری) is a Persian (Iranian) composer and conductor, who has worked with more than 120 European orchestras, including the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.
Born in Tehran in 1948, Rahbari studied violin and composition with Rahmatollah Badiee and Hossein Dehlavi at the Persian National Music Conservatory. From the age of 17 he was a violinist at the Fine Arts Administration Orchestra No. 1 (conducted by Hossein Dehlavi). After receiving his violin diploma from the National Conservatory, he won a scholarship from the Persian Ministry of Culture and Art and moved to Austria. Rahabari continued his studies in composition and conducting at the Vienna Academy with Gottfried von Einem, Hans Swarovsky and Karl Österreicher.
Some months after his return to Persia (Iran), in 1973 he became director of the Persian National Music Conservatory and was director of the Tehran Conservatory of Music from 1974 - 1977.
During this time Rahbari, in co-operation with young Persian musicians, established Iran's Jeunesse Musicale Orchestra where he was its music director and permanent conductor. He also conducted the Tehran Symphony Orchestra, the National Iranian Radio and Television (NIRT) Chamber Orchestra and the Tehran Opera Orchestra as a guest conductor in Roudaki Hall.
In 1977 he emigrated to Europe. In the same year he won the first prize of the International Besançon Competition for Young Conductors (France) and in 1978 received the silver medal at the Geneva International Conducting Competition. In this year he recorded three LPs entitled "Symphonische Dichtungen aus Persien" [Symphonic Poems from Persia] with Nürnberg Symphony Orchestra in Germany, including 6 works by some of the greatest 20th century Persian composers: "Bijan & Manijeh" by Hossein Dehlavi, "Dance", "Ballet-Immpressionen" and "Rhapsodie" by Ahmad Pejman, "Sheherazade" by Aminollah (Andre) Hossein, "Iranian Suite" by Houshang Ostovar, "Persian Mysticism in G" (his own composition) and "Mouvement Symphonic" by Mohammad-Taghi Massoudieh.
1979 was the most important year in Rahbari's career. He was invited to conduct Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and in 1980 Salzburg Easter Festival became Karajan's assistant.
From 1988 to 1996 Rahbari was the principal conductor of the Belgian Radio and Television Philharmonic Orchestra and after that became music director of Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2005 he came back to Iran, and conducted Beethoven's Ninth Symphony in Tehran. Many conservatives and newspapers accused Rahbari of promoting Western values. He resigned from Tehran Symphony Orchestra and left Iran as a protest against its music industry. In 2009 he introduced new musical ideas based on rhythms in Persian traditional music.
Alexander Rahbari was born in Teheran and trained in Vienna with Gottfried von Einem, Hans Swarowsky and Karl Österrreicher.
The conductor is now an Austrian citizen and lives with his wife and three children in a beautiful farm house in lower Austria. Something of a new Renaissance man, Rahbari is a talented artist and has painted portraits of many well-known musicians. His charming home was also designed by himself.
Alexander Rahbari was the recipient of several major awards early in his conducting career. In 1977 he won the prestigious Gold Medal at the Besancon International Conductors' Competition and followed this with a silver medal at the Geneva Competition. Noticed at this and other events by Herbert von Karajan, Rahbari was invited by him to conduct the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. After this triumphant debut with the orchestra, further engagements followed: in 1980, 1982 and 1984. Karajan also paid Rahbari the enormous compliment of asking him to be his assistant at the Salzburg Easter Festival in 1980.
In 1985, Alexander Rahbari was invited by the Czech Philharmonic to become their Permanent Guest Conductor and it was during this period that he was awarded the Dvorak medal for his outstanding work with the Czech Philharmonic.
Also from 1985 Rahbari became Guest Conductor with the Belgian Radio and Television Orchestra, Brussels - the "BRTN" - and served as Chief Music Director from 1988 until 1996. It was during his time with the orchestra that he became well known for his recordings of the standard orchestral repertoire together with operas, contemporary music and choral works and in 1994 he was honoured with the Fuga Trophy by the Belgian Composers' Association for his outstanding achievements with the orchestra. In 1996 Rahbari became Chief Music Director of the Virtuosi di Praga.
In addition to his work as a conductor, as Chief Music Director of Koch Discover International (which he founded in 1992) Rahbari has discovered many young soloists and ensembles, helping them to make their first recordings and promoting them on the international scene.
For Naxos, Alexander Rahbari is best known as a conductor on Opera Classics with his redoubtable BRTN or the Czech-Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra: Carmen, Cavalleria Rusticana, Madama Butterfly, I Pagliacci, Rigoletto, Tosca, La Traviata and especially Manon Lescaut which is held by many to be the finest of the modern versions.
Besides this considerable output, Alexander Rahbari has attracted warm critical praise for his recordings of symphonies and symphonic works by Debussy, Bartok, Stravinsky, Beethoven, Shostakovich, Schumann and Brahms. The German Requiem by the latter composer was a perfect framework for the creative synergy between the conductor and the soprano Miriam Gauci - so evident in their operatic work on Naxos - to blossom in a new context.
Alexander Rahbari has also found time to work for the Marco Polo label, recording albums of Flemish romantic music and a delightful pot-pourri survey of works for saxophone and orchestra.
Ali (Alexander) Rahbari (Persian: علی رهبری) is a Persian (Iranian) composer and conductor, who has worked with more than 120 European orchestras, including the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.
Born in Tehran in 1948, Rahbari studied violin and composition with Rahmatollah Badiee and Hossein Dehlavi at the Persian National Music Conservatory. From the age of 17 he was a violinist at the Fine Arts Administration Orchestra No. 1 (conducted by Hossein Dehlavi). After receiving his violin diploma from the National Conservatory, he won a scholarship from the Persian Ministry of Culture and Art and moved to Austria. Rahabari continued his studies in composition and conducting at the Vienna Academy with Gottfried von Einem, Hans Swarovsky and Karl Österreicher.
Some months after his return to Persia (Iran), in 1973 he became director of the Persian National Music Conservatory and was director of the Tehran Conservatory of Music from 1974 - 1977.
During this time Rahbari, in co-operation with young Persian musicians, established Iran's Jeunesse Musicale Orchestra where he was its music director and permanent conductor. He also conducted the Tehran Symphony Orchestra, the National Iranian Radio and Television (NIRT) Chamber Orchestra and the Tehran Opera Orchestra as a guest conductor in Roudaki Hall.
In 1977 he emigrated to Europe. In the same year he won the first prize of the International Besançon Competition for Young Conductors (France) and in 1978 received the silver medal at the Geneva International Conducting Competition. In this year he recorded three LPs entitled "Symphonische Dichtungen aus Persien" [Symphonic Poems from Persia] with Nürnberg Symphony Orchestra in Germany, including 6 works by some of the greatest 20th century Persian composers: "Bijan & Manijeh" by Hossein Dehlavi, "Dance", "Ballet-Immpressionen" and "Rhapsodie" by Ahmad Pejman, "Sheherazade" by Aminollah (Andre) Hossein, "Iranian Suite" by Houshang Ostovar, "Persian Mysticism in G" (his own composition) and "Mouvement Symphonic" by Mohammad-Taghi Massoudieh.
1979 was the most important year in Rahbari's career. He was invited to conduct Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and in 1980 Salzburg Easter Festival became Karajan's assistant.
From 1988 to 1996 Rahbari was the principal conductor of the Belgian Radio and Television Philharmonic Orchestra and after that became music director of Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2005 he came back to Iran, and conducted Beethoven's Ninth Symphony in Tehran. Many conservatives and newspapers accused Rahbari of promoting Western values. He resigned from Tehran Symphony Orchestra and left Iran as a protest against its music industry. In 2009 he introduced new musical ideas based on rhythms in Persian traditional music.
Alexander Rahbari was born in Teheran and trained in Vienna with Gottfried von Einem, Hans Swarowsky and Karl Österrreicher.
The conductor is now an Austrian citizen and lives with his wife and three children in a beautiful farm house in lower Austria. Something of a new Renaissance man, Rahbari is a talented artist and has painted portraits of many well-known musicians. His charming home was also designed by himself.
Alexander Rahbari was the recipient of several major awards early in his conducting career. In 1977 he won the prestigious Gold Medal at the Besancon International Conductors' Competition and followed this with a silver medal at the Geneva Competition. Noticed at this and other events by Herbert von Karajan, Rahbari was invited by him to conduct the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. After this triumphant debut with the orchestra, further engagements followed: in 1980, 1982 and 1984. Karajan also paid Rahbari the enormous compliment of asking him to be his assistant at the Salzburg Easter Festival in 1980.
In 1985, Alexander Rahbari was invited by the Czech Philharmonic to become their Permanent Guest Conductor and it was during this period that he was awarded the Dvorak medal for his outstanding work with the Czech Philharmonic.
Also from 1985 Rahbari became Guest Conductor with the Belgian Radio and Television Orchestra, Brussels - the "BRTN" - and served as Chief Music Director from 1988 until 1996. It was during his time with the orchestra that he became well known for his recordings of the standard orchestral repertoire together with operas, contemporary music and choral works and in 1994 he was honoured with the Fuga Trophy by the Belgian Composers' Association for his outstanding achievements with the orchestra. In 1996 Rahbari became Chief Music Director of the Virtuosi di Praga.
In addition to his work as a conductor, as Chief Music Director of Koch Discover International (which he founded in 1992) Rahbari has discovered many young soloists and ensembles, helping them to make their first recordings and promoting them on the international scene.
For Naxos, Alexander Rahbari is best known as a conductor on Opera Classics with his redoubtable BRTN or the Czech-Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra: Carmen, Cavalleria Rusticana, Madama Butterfly, I Pagliacci, Rigoletto, Tosca, La Traviata and especially Manon Lescaut which is held by many to be the finest of the modern versions.
Besides this considerable output, Alexander Rahbari has attracted warm critical praise for his recordings of symphonies and symphonic works by Debussy, Bartok, Stravinsky, Beethoven, Shostakovich, Schumann and Brahms. The German Requiem by the latter composer was a perfect framework for the creative synergy between the conductor and the soprano Miriam Gauci - so evident in their operatic work on Naxos - to blossom in a new context.
Alexander Rahbari has also found time to work for the Marco Polo label, recording albums of Flemish romantic music and a delightful pot-pourri survey of works for saxophone and orchestra.
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