Heshmat Sanjari

Heshmat Sanjari studied violin at the Tehran Conservatory of Music under Serge Khotsief and Conducting at the Vienna Music Academy as a pupil of Hans Swarowsky. Claudio Abbado and Zubin Mehta studied in the same class under Swarowsky. Maestro Sanjari also studied Persian Classical music under Ali-Naqi Vaziri. == Conducting career ==

After studying violin at the conservatory, Sanjari was the conductor of Tehran Conservatory Students Orchestra and the director of the Conservatory for a short time in 1951. From 1960 until 1971 he was the permanent conductor of the Tehran Symphony Orchestra, the longest in the history of orchestra. As a guest conductor he conducted the National Iranian Radio and Television Chamber Orchestra and several European orchestras. == Compositions ==

He composed the works Persian Pictures [تابلوهای ایرانی] (in 5 movements) and Niayesh (Praise) for choir and orchestra. The former is regarded by some as a masterpiece of contemporary Persian symphonic music. Both works have been recorded by Manuchehr Sahbai in Bulgaria with Plovdiv Philharmonic Orchestra. == Later career ==

After the 1979 Iranian revolution, the new government looked at music as a promotion of western culture, against Islamic values, so Sanjari and orchestra played only a few concerts in 10 years after revolution. The pressures of this new situation caused him to become depressed in 1989 and after 5 years he fell ill and died on January 4, 1995. == See also ==