About Pouria Khadem
Artistic Vision
Pouria Khadem (b. 1999, Mashhad, Iran) is an Iranian Composer, Pianist, Musician and Performing Artist. His music embodies a contemporary artistic vision, rooted in Persian classical and folk traditions, and enriched by the compositional styles of Western classical music from the Baroque era to the present, making him a poly-stylist composer and artist.
International Piano Soloist
Pouria Khadem began performing internationally as a piano soloist in his teenage years. He has appeared with orchestras such as the Craiova Philharmonic Orchestra (Romania), the Armenian Chamber Orchestra, the Azerbaijan State Orchestra of Folk Instruments, the Tehran Symphony Orchestra, and the Bacău Philharmonic Orchestra. His repertoire includes piano concertos by contemporary composers such as Fikret Amirov, Shahin Farhat, Loris Tjeknavorian, and Marius Hristescu, as well as conventional classical repertoire by composers such as Beethoven, Mozart, Bach, Liszt, and Chopin.
He has also given numerous recitals, both as a soloist and in collaboration with other instrumentalists such as Ramiz Quliyev and Loreto Gismondi, as well as renowned vocalists including Shahram Nazeri. These performances have taken place in cities such as Vienna, New York, Venice, Milan, Bucharest, Craiova, Yerevan, Tehran, Isfahan, and Baku.
In his early career, Khadem notably performed Shahin Farhat’s Piano Concerto No. 2 at the age of 12 with the Craiova Philharmonic Orchestra in Romania, conducted by Marius Hristescu, and later with Loris Tjeknavorian at Tehran’s Vahdat Hall. In 2012, he performed Tjeknavorian’s Iranian Suite for Piano and Orchestra in Armenia with the Armenian Chamber Orchestra, followed by performances in Bacău (Romania) and tours in Italy (Milan and Venice).
In 2013, Khadem accompanied Azerbaijani tar virtuoso Ramiz Quliyev in Tehran, where Quliyev described him as a “musical prodigy.” The following year, he was invited to Baku by the Ministry of Culture of Azerbaijan to perform Amirov’s Piano Concerto after Arabian Themes, which was met with acclaim from both the audience and Amirov’s family.
Classical Composition
As a composer, Khadem writes in a wide range of Western classical forms, including chamber music (duets, trios, quartets) and orchestral genres such as symphonies and symphonic poems. His music embodies a contemporary vision, rooted in the traditions of Persian classical and folk music while enriched by the compositional practices of Western classical schools from the Baroque to the modern era.
Takhti Symphonic Poem (2016)
Dedicated to the life of Gholamreza Takhti, this work was recorded by the Prague Metropolitan Orchestra under the baton of Alexander Rahbari at the historic Smecky Music Studios in the Czech Republic, with Mohammad Motamedi performing the tenor solo.
Alamdar Symphonic Poem (2015)
Premiered in Baku under the baton of Rauf Abdullayev with the Azerbaijan State Symphony Orchestra and Choir, comprising 140 performers, and was released as an album on streaming platforms.
His orchestral arrangements have also been performed at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris and at Westminster Hall in London, presented by the Eastern Paris Philharmonic Orchestra and the Bahar Choir under the direction of Arash Fouladvand, featuring Darya Dadvar as the vocal soloist.
Composition for Dramatic Arts
Khadem has composed for musical theatre, melodrama, interdisciplinary stage productions, film, and other media. His works aim to collaborate with artists across different fields to present rich cultural narratives drawn from Iranian history, literature, and mythology:
- The Leader: A Melodrama (2020): Produced and narrated by Parviz Parastui, directed by Hossein Parsaei, and performed by the Tehran Symphony Orchestra at Tehran’s Vahdat Hall. Despite pandemic restrictions, it was streamed online to an audience of over one million. It was revived in 2022 at Vahdat Hall, once again conducted by Bardia Kiaras.
- The Seven Trials of Esfandiar (2023): This musical theatre production, based on Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh, was staged for 60 consecutive nights at Vahdat Hall. This large-scale production, directed by Hossein Parsaei, depicts the mythical journey of Esfandiar, one of the most renowned heroes of Iranian legend.
Interdisciplinary Composer:
Khadem is an interdisciplinary composer whose work bridges tradition and innovation, blending music with narrative, movement, and visual expression. His compositions traverse the intersections of music and other art forms—including Painting, Dramatic Arts, Visual Arts, Choreography and Dance, Literature, Multimedia, Installations—inviting audiences into rich, multi-layered experiences where sound interacts with space, imagery, movement and storytelling, offering new perspectives on art and performance.
He has collaborated extensively with narrators in storytelling and with painters in visual presentations, alongside composing numerous choreomusical works and other interdisciplinary projects.
Persian Microtonal Music
Khadem is regarded as a leading figure in the exploration of Persian microtonal music. His work focuses on adapting aspects of Western classical music to the modal and microtonal tuning systems of Iranian classical and folk music, especially in composing and performing for the piano, where he continues a path initiated by pioneers such as Morteza Mahjoubi, transforming the well-tempered tuning system into a Persian microtonal tuning.
By combining these traditions with modern compositional knowledge and refined performance practices—such as distinctive voicing and ornamentation—he has introduced new forms of expression for Persian music on the piano and other Western instruments. His approach is recognized as a significant contribution to redefining the role of the piano in both traditional and contemporary Iranian music.
Beyond Music – For Iranian Culture
Beyond his musical endeavors, Pouria Khadem is recognized as a prominent cultural figure in Iran, dedicated to introducing the rich history and ancient culture of his country to the world. He sees himself as a modern continuation of the Gusans—the ancient artistic figures of Iran from the Achaemenid and Parthian eras—whose enduring role in the sky of Iran’s cultural history has been to narrate history and mythology, passing it down to future generations through art, particularly music.
Khadem strives, both through the creation and performance of artistic works and through structured cultural initiatives, to contribute meaningfully to the promotion and elevation of Iranian history, culture, and art.
In this context, he co-founded the cultural and artistic institute Gathanik, together with two other Iranian artists. The institute’s activities include organizing artistic performances, hosting painting and other visual art exhibitions, publishing books and magazines, and recording and releasing music.
Follow Us
