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:
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