Composer: Soheil Shirangi
Completed: May 2026
Final Graduate Project in Composition
San Francisco State University
Advisor: Professor Ben Sabey
Shadbash is an orchestral work in three movements—Mojdeh (Proclamation), Tarab (Joy), and Khoshdeli (Delight)—inspired by the ritual and cultural meaning of announcing good news in Iranian tradition. Drawing on the Mahur mode, known for its bright and expansive character, the piece explores subtle modal shifts, particularly around the sixth degree, to create a nuanced and expressive sound world.
The work combines monophonic textures rooted in Iranian music with a contemporary orchestral approach, shaped by neo-romantic sensibilities. Influences of minimalism appear through repetition and gradual development, forming a continuous narrative across the three movements.
A central 6/8 rhythmic pulse, reinforced by the triangle, evokes ceremonial and dance-like traditions, guiding the music’s progression from proclamation to celebration and finally to a deeper sense of joy. Shadbash reflects my attempt to connect cultural memory with a personal compositional voice, presenting joy as a profound and shared human experience.
Navide Bahar (For String Orchestra)
Composer: Soheil Shirangi
Inspired by a Work of Abolhasan Saba
With Gratitude to Professor Jerome Rossen / San Francisco State University / Fall 2025
“Navid-e Bahar” (“Herald of Spring”) for String Orchestra is inspired by the musical atmosphere of Abolhasan Saba and reflects the delicacy, vitality, and color of Iranian music through a contemporary orchestral language. Built around the joyful and luminous character of the Mahur mode, the work evokes images of blue skies, gentle sunlight, and cool spring winds. Through evolving textures, contrapuntal interaction, and transformed melodic ideas, the piece balances Persian musical expression with modern compositional techniques. “Navid-e Bahar” ultimately represents a personal reflection on renewal, nature, hope, and the continuing expressive possibilities of Iranian music within a contemporary symphonic context.
Composer: Soheil Shirangi
Completed: December 2024
Reading by: San Francisco State University Orchestra
Conductor: Zakaria Grafilo
Date: May 12, 2025
Listen on SoundCloud
Second performance: Golden Gate Symphony Orchestra
May 24, 2026, At Benicia Clock Tower in Northern California
With gratitude to: Professor Ben Sabey, for his guidance and encouragement to write and complete this work
Amor Fati—“Love of Fate”—draws on Nietzsche’s philosophy of embracing every aspect of existence, both light and dark. The orchestral work balances two musical worlds: minimalist repetition and meditative stillness contrast with bold, Beethoven-like symphonic gestures. These opposing forces flow together in a journey from introspection to triumph, suggesting the beauty of acceptance within struggle. Each instrument contributes to a shared narrative, reflecting the interconnectedness of all experience. Amor Fati is ultimately a celebration of life’s entirety—an affirmation that to live fully is to love our fate itself.
Composer: Soheil Shirangi
Year of Creation: October 2024
With gratitude to: Professor Ben Sabey, for his guidance and encouragement to write and complete this work.
Vagus draws inspiration from the vagus nerve, which links the body’s physical and emotional systems. Written for string orchestra, the piece aims to influence the listener’s inner state through sound, using a Persian rhythm and melody to evoke relaxation and empathy. Structured in two contrasting sections—one deep and meditative, the other lyrical and transient—it mirrors transformation and renewal. Through evolving textures and rich harmonics, Vagus becomes a reflection on connection, breath, and emotional healing, where music itself becomes a quiet dialogue between the heart and the mind.
Mehre Penhan (for A Cappella Choir)
Composer: Soheil Shirangi • Text: Ghazal by Mowlānā (Rumi)
Performed by: Iran Philharmonic Choir
Conductor: Alireza Shafaghi Nezhad • Assistant Conductor: Shadnoosh Shemshadi
Recorded at: Saba Studio, Tehran — March 2022 • Engineer: Marjan Masoumi
Mix & Master: Reza Farhadi • Graphic Design: Mobin Kushkbaghi • Video: Parsa Sotoudeh
Published by: Javan Records
Listen on Spotify
Mehre Penhan (“The Hidden Love”) is based on a ghazal by Rumi that reflects the eternal connection between human love and divine spirit. Written for a cappella choir, the piece weaves Persian melodic sensibility into contemporary choral textures. Layers of voices merge and separate, symbolizing the hidden yet radiant nature of love that transcends form and time. Through delicate harmonies and expressive dynamics, the work invites listeners into a space of inner reflection—where silence, devotion, and unity become one resonant voice.
Composer: Soheil Shirangi
Duration: 8’30”
Year of Creation: Winter 2019 • Last Edit: June 2019
Instrumentation:
Piccolo, Flute, Oboe, Cor Anglais, Clarinet in Bb, Bass Clarinet in Bb, Bassoon
Horn in F (2), Trumpet in Bb, Trombone
Timpani, Harp
Violin I, Violin II, Viola, Cello, Contrabass
Award:
Diploma of Third Place – 2nd International Symphony Orchestra Contest for Young Composers from the CIS Countries and Eastern Europe named after Michal Kleofas Oginski
Molodechno, Republic of Belarus — June 2020
Performance:
Spring 2021 — Honored Band of the Republic of Belarus, Symphony Orchestra of the Molodechno State Music College named after M.K. Oginski
Organizers:
Russian Musical Union • International Guild of Young Musicians • MolOt International Group • Belarusian-Russian Association of Contemporary Music • Belarusian Society of Contemporary Music More Information
Sharhe (“Explanation”) is a musical reflection on separation, inspired by Rumi’s verse “I need a heart split open by separation, so I may speak of longing.” Composed in 2019, it portrays the emotional journey from disconnection to transformation through three phases: isolation, memory, and acceptance. The piece blends Western orchestral language with Persian-inspired textures, using silence and resonance as symbols of distance and remembrance. Dedicated to all who have experienced separation, Sharhe transforms longing into sound—an intimate meditation on love, memory, and the enduring power of connection.
A Place to Love (for Orchestra)
Composer: Soheil Shirangi
Year of Creation: Winter 2013 • Last Edit: 2020
Watch on YouTube
A Place to Love is an orchestral reflection on humanity’s relationship with the Earth—a planet we all share yet too often neglect. The piece grows from a sense of mourning into one of hope, envisioning a future built on harmony between people, nature, and all living beings. Through evolving textures and gentle contrasts, the music expresses both fragility and resilience. It stands as a reminder that caring for the Earth is not just an act of preservation, but of love itself.