CO-COMPOSER / ARRANGER / SOUND DESIGNER

Bahar Royaee (she/her) is an Iranian composer/sound designer whose acoustic and electro-acoustic music has been acclaimed as “succeed(ing) as a poetic incantation, brimming with ideas and colors” (Classical Voice North America) and “haunting” (Boston Arts Review). Recipient of the prestigious Opera America Discovery Grant 2025 and Fromm Foundation Commission Award 2022, Royaee has also received honors such as the Pnea, National Sawdust Hildegard, Roger Session Memorial Composition, and Korourian Electroacoustic Music Awards. She writes music for various genres, from opera, theater, and film to chamber music. Her work has been performed by luminaries such as International Contemporary Ensemble, Suzanne Farrin, Ensemble der gelbe Klang, Jack Quartet, Loadbang, Contemporary Insights of Leipzig, Guerrilla Opera, Longleash, Kimia Hesabi, Splice Ensemble, FabrikQuartet, Opus21 Ensemble, Talea Ensemble, Hanna Levingston and Ross Karre.

Significant chamber music performances include Ojai Festival 2025, ECLAT Festival 2025 in Germany with FabrikQuartet, La Bienalle de Venizie 2024 with Hannah Levinson, Festspiele Festival in Germany with Opus21 Ensemble (2024), Composer Conference Gala 2024 with Talea Ensemble, Ultraschall Berlin with Muriel Razavi (2023), Berlin Prize for Young Artists with Adam Woodward (2023), ICE Festival Germany with Ensemble Tempus Konnex (2022), Tehran Electroacoustic Music Festival (2022), and Time: Spans Festival (2020) with International Contemporary Ensemble and Suzanne Farrin.

In the realm of theater, Royaee has worked as a composer and sound designer for leading U.S. companies including La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club, Alliance Theatre, Golden Thread Productions, Kitchen Theatre Company, Rattlestick Theater, University Settlement, Gloucester Stage Company, TheaterWorks Hartford, Long Wharf Theatre, and The Tank.