Ahmad Pejman is an Iranian classical music composer, notable for his operatic and symphonic works. As a young violinist with Tehran Symphony Orchestra, he was awarded a scholarship to attend the Music Academy in Vienna, Austria. He studied composition with Thomas Christian David, Alfred Uhl, and Hanns Jelinek. His remarkable career started while a student at the Vienna Academy where his compositions were performed by the Vienna Chamber Orchestra and his symphonic work Rhapsody was performed by the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra. Before graduating from the Academy, he was commissioned to write the first Persian Opera, Rustic Festival, for the opening of the Tehran Opera house, Rudaki Hall.Upon completion of his studies, Pejman returned to Iran and soon became one the most prolific and prominent composers of his time. Combining his Western Classical music mastery with traditional Iranian music and instruments, he became a significant force in the classical Iranian music scene. His compositions for the symphony orchestras, ballets, operas, chamber music, oratorios, and film music span over an impressive 60-year career. His works have been performed nationally and internationally, including in the United States, Canada, Austria, Czechoslovakia, South Africa, Belgium, and the United Kingdom. Pejman is a winner of numerous national and international awards and was named the most important composer of the century by the House of Cinema in Iran. A commemorative stamp was issued in Pejman's honor in 2017. One of the most sought after composers for films, Pejman has worked with many Iranian filmmakers, including Majid Majidi, Rakhshan Bani Etemad, Mohsen Makhmalbaf, and decades of collaboration with Bahman Farmanara.
