Mohammad Saeed Sharifian was born in 1955 in Tehran Iran. He left Iran at an early age in order to pursue his musical training in England, where he subsequently studied composition, flute, piano, percussion and visual Arts. During this period, he studied in Huddersfield university, Leeds college of music, the Royal colleges of London and for 4 years at the Colchester Institute of music (Anglian University) with, among other composers, Philip Canon, a former pupil of Vaughan Williams and Gustave Holst.
In the late 70s and early 80s, he became a member of a group of composers who were actively involved in writing, exploring and also performing modern musical trend of the time. In 1984, and while completing his PhD in electro acoustic music and acoustics in Italy, he became the resident composer for 2 major Orchestras in Tuscany, composing regularly for the orchestra’s European tours.
In 1990 he returned to Iran where he engaged himself by composing orchestral and various ensemble scores based on the Persian folklore musical material in order to develop further the Iranian musical language of the time.
M. S. Sharifian has been resident both in Iran and the U.K following his musical carer as composer and lecturer. Among many positions held and activities undertaken, he was the Managing Director for the Iranian House of Music, the founder member of M.A.M.PH.A (Music Application in Mental and Physical Health Association), and a regular speaker on music, also in the media.
He has composed over 80 scores, varying from orchestral, choral, ensembles, electro-acoustic, film and t.v music over the past 25 years. Many of these works have received performances throughout Europe, U.S.A and the Middle East, together with many media broadcasting.
His more substantial works and commissions of recent years include:
- Bani Adam… on poem by Sa’adi
A symphonic and choral work on the poems by Sa’adi, commissioned for the gathering of the Heads of States at the U.N., New York in 1998 - Sardaran
Symphony commissioned in 1998 - Arvand
Symphony commissioned in 2000 - The Jewel of Happiness
BBC commission for the musical setting of Ghazali
- Arash..
A symphonic poem in 2001. - Eclipse
107 Minutes Oratorio for symphonic orchestra, piano – harp – mixed choir – soloists and a Persian traditional singer. - Tolu (Sunrise)
Second oratorio, 2005. - Ferdose Javid for Symphony orchestra – choir and solo Persian traditional singer, 2010.
- The Sun symphony, 2011.
See the complete list of works along with some audio samples.