Peter Peyman Farzinpour – Turning Big Ideas Into Living Music

Peter Peyman Farzinpour has never followed a single path. Instead, he has built a career by connecting worlds that are often kept apart. Classical and contemporary. Music and multimedia. Education and entrepreneurship.

“I’ve always been curious about what happens when you remove boundaries,” Farzinpour says. “That’s where the most interesting work lives.”

Today, he is known as a conductor, composer, multimedia producer, professor, and arts entrepreneur. But his story starts much earlier, with a deep interest in music, language, and creative thinking.

Early life and education: A broad foundation

Farzinpour’s early education reflected his wide interests. He attended the Windward School for high school, where both the arts and academics played a strong role. That balance continued into higher education.

He pursued a dual graduate path at Johns Hopkins University and the Peabody Conservatory of Music, studying English Literature alongside guitar and composition. This mix of words and sound would later shape how he thinks about music as storytelling.

“Studying literature taught me structure and meaning,” he explains. “Music isn’t just sound. It’s narrative.”

He went on to earn a master’s degree in music composition and conducting from UC Davis. Later, he completed a doctorate in orchestral conducting at the Civica Scuola di Musica Claudio Abbado in Milan, Italy. Living and studying in Europe expanded his artistic outlook and professional reach.

Early career: Learning from major institutions

Farzinpour began his professional career with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. It was an important proving ground.

“You learn very quickly what excellence looks like at that level,” he says. “It sets a standard you carry with you.”

That experience led to a key role as Director of New Music at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). There, he was responsible for designing bold concert programs that challenged traditional expectations.

The results were noticed. His work at LACMA earned first place from ASCAP and Chamber Music America for Adventurous Programming of Contemporary Music.

“The goal was never to shock,” Farzinpour notes. “It was to invite people into new experiences in a thoughtful way.”

Building ensembles and bringing ideas to life

One of Farzinpour’s defining contributions has been his work in building and leading ensembles. He served as Music Director and Conductor of Erato Philharmonia in Los Angeles, an orchestra dedicated to blending standard repertoire with contemporary music, dance, and live painting.

Later, he led the Rivers Symphony Orchestra and the Waltham Philharmonic Orchestra in Massachusetts. Each role allowed him to refine his leadership style.

“You’re not just conducting music,” he says. “You’re shaping a culture.”

That idea reached its fullest expression with ENSEMBLE / PARALLAX, where Farzinpour serves as Executive and Artistic Director. The group became the first ensemble to commission every composition alongside a newly created multimedia work.

“For me, multimedia isn’t decoration,” he explains. “It’s part of the composition.”

He also leads Sinfonietta Notturna and directs Farzinpour Creative Music & Multimedia Ventures, expanding his work across performance, production, and creative strategy.

Opera, international work, and recognition

Farzinpour’s career has taken him across the United States, Canada, and Europe. He has conducted in France, Italy, Germany, Austria, Czechia, and Bulgaria, and worked with leading new music ensembles in Italy, including Divertimento Ensemble and MDI Ensemble of Milan.

A major milestone came with Opera Cabal, where he served as Conductor-in-Residence. He led the world staged premiere of Georg Friedrich Haas’s opera ATTHIS at The Kitchen in New York City.

The production sold out. The New York Times called it “mesmerizing.”

“That project reminded me how powerful risk can be,” Farzinpour says. “When people trust the work, they show up.”

Teaching and mentorship: Passing it forward

Alongside his performance career, Peyman Farzinpour has remained deeply committed to education. He has held faculty positions at the Berklee College of Music and UMass Dartmouth.

At Berklee, he taught conducting, composition, music theory, music history, and courses like The Art of Rock & Roll.

“Teaching keeps you honest,” he says. “Students ask the questions you can’t ignore.”

His approach to teaching mirrors his career: interdisciplinary, practical, and rooted in curiosity.

Composition, awards, and ongoing work

Farzinpour’s compositions have been performed across North America and Europe by ensembles such as MDI, Cygnus, Janus, and Nouvel Ensemble Moderne. His music has appeared at major festivals and institutions, including the Tufts University Festival of Contemporary Music and the Conservatoire Maurice Ravel in Paris.

He has received numerous honors, including the Berklee Faculty Fellowship, multiple grants from the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, the Foundation for Contemporary Arts, and the American Composers Forum. He was also a Composer-in-Residence at the Banff Centre for the Arts in Canada.

Looking back, Farzinpour sees a clear throughline.

“I’ve always tried to build things that didn’t exist yet,” he says. “That’s what keeps the work alive.”

His career shows what can happen when big ideas are met with discipline, collaboration, and a willingness to take thoughtful risks.