Born in Tehran, Iran in 1978, Sahand grew up around a variety of different
musical instruments. His father was a musician himself and a major influence on
his musical upbringing. Sahand started his training on the classical piano at
the age of 6 which sparked his love for all things music.
In 1998, at the
age of 20, Sahand moved to Toronto, Canada, and attended York University for
music composition. Although this only lasted one year, he did have the
opportunity to study with Glen Halls, one of Canada’s finest musicians and learn
more about improvisation.
In 2001 he
started playing the keyboard with a local acoustic act 'Snoovy'. They performed
at multiple venues across Toronto, and that summer they went on to win the
Montreal’s Fringe Festival Battle of the Bands.
In early 2003 he
founded Scattered Sessions, a two-man 'jam band' featuring himself and David
Montoya rotating on Bass/Drums/Guitar and Keys. Their focus has been to
improvise, explore and push their musical boundaries. (Scattered-Sessions.ca) Although they continue to
play together when given the opportunity, in recent years Sam has shifted focus
onto his solo work.
In 2006 he wrote
a soundtrack to a web based PC Game (www.animalcrueltygame.com). He also composed the
soundtrack for a promotional video which was for Hatch’s Sustainability
Development Campaign’ in Melbourne, 2008.
Sahand recently has
been collaborating with Stefanie Nelson Dance Group (a contemporary dance company based in New York City) www.sndancegroup.org; composing number of tracks for their recent
shows:
Previous shows:
2010
DNA RAW Directions
0112
February 11-13, 2010
@ Dance New Amsterdam
DanceNOW @DTW
Fri. Sept 11 at 7:30pm @ DTW
dancenownyc.org
upcoming performances
Joyce SoHo
Proximity Spiral premiere
March 18-21, 2010
presented in association with Joyce SoHo
A
highly charged sensual arena in which power and vulnerability vie for
prominence, Proximity Spiral is inspired by the haunting simplicity of the
Fibonacci sequence. Hailed for work that is “sensual and sensational” (MV
Times), Nelson’s movement is playful and argumentative, tender and tense,
and promises “a wild and bumpy trip” (Dance Insider), set to a sound score
featuring original music by Iranian composer Sahand Rahbar, with additional
music by Borut Krzisnik and Hugh Mann. Collaborating artists include filmmaker
and Academy Award nominee Joan Schimke-Stein, lighting and set designer Solomon
Weisbard, and costume designer Ashley Gardner.
Performers: Malinda
Crump, Katie Federowicz, Jeffrey Kent Jacobs, McKay Montz, Matthew Oaks, Ali
Schechter, Ariana Siegel and Yin
Yue.
Thursday,
March 18 at 8pm (Gala performance)
Friday, March 19 at 8pm (post performance
discussion)
Saturday, March 20 at 8pm
Sunday, March 21 at
3pm
Tickets on sale soon:
$20, $18
(DancePass, seniors, and students with valid ID)
$40 for the Gala
Performance, includes refreshments
joyce.org or JoyceCharge (212)
242-0800
Joyce
SoHo is located at 155 Mercer (between Houston & Prince).
N/R/W to
Prince, B/D/F/V to Broadway-Lafayette, 6 to
Bleecker