Engagements brought me to the Konzerthaus Wien, Kungliga Operan Stockholm, Musica Nova Festival Helsinki, Salzburger Festspiele, UNM Festival, Wien Modern, Wiener Musikverein and more-
I have worked alongside Daniel Barenboim and mostly Leif Segerstam.
During my period in Finland I developed a particular affection for Russian music, Sibelius and especially contemporary repertoire.
Most important to me is the interaction between the composer, the conductor, the instrument (orchestra, choir, soloist etc.) and the audience.
Music-theatre has the additional verbal and staging components, which add two extra fascinating dimensions to music making.
Hardly surprising then that my passions therefore also include opera literature – from classical Viennese works to contemporary scores.
Nazanin Aghakhani
Orchestral Conductor
I was born and raised in Vienna, Austria,
to a family of Persian heritage.
By the age of eight I already knew I would
dedicate my life to creating orchestral sound.
Encouraged by the full support of my family I trained as a classical pianist, and at the age of 12 I also started taking my first private lessons in score reading, counterpoint and harmony with Thomas Christian David.
Between 20 and 28 I focused on developing my professional skills as an orchestral conductor – initially in Vienna with Erwin Acel and Leopold Hager, followed by four years in Stockholm, Sweden, with Jorma Panula, and then a final two years with Leif Segerstam at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Finland.
Those were very fruitful, but also challenging years that also enabled me to gain a lot of practical experience on stage – not only as a conductor, but also as a pianist and composer.
