Iranian composer/pianist who experiments on the boundary between ambient modern classical and drone

Fan of Hildur Guðnadóttir or Jóhann Jóhannsson (A Winged Victory for the Sullen)? Then Ava Rasti (IR) might be right up your alley! This Iranian composer and pianist experiments on the boundary between ambient modern classical and drone. 

Her latest album The River was released under the neoclassical label 130701 (which also brought us Keeley Forsyth’s The Hallow). She found her inspiration for the album during a residence in Treviso, northern Italy, where she enjoyed relaxing by the Piave river… until she learned about the area’s history. 

The river was the site of many bloodbaths during the First and Second World Wars. It was important to the Italian army as it formed the backdrop to numerous strategic victories. They granted the Piave the honorific title of Flume Sacro alla Patria (‘Sacred River Of The Homeland’).