Image by Samuel White
Darius Paymai is an Iranian-American composer and performer based in London. His work is characterised by a clarity of approach and economy of material: often fragile, static, cyclical, found and reused in new contexts.
He is undertaking an Artist Master’s at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, learning with Laurence Crane, where he also studied at an undergraduate level with Paul Newland and Paul Whitmarsh.
As a composer he has worked with ensembles such as the London Chamber Orchestra, Plus-Minus Ensemble, Britten Sinfonia, EXAUDI, Quatuor Bozzini, and cellist Francesco Dillon, and his music performed at St. John’s Smith Square, The Place, Milton Court Concert Hall, and Hundred Years Gallery.
As a performer he is interested in approaching experimental repertoire, drone, and free improvisation, often with harmonium, percussion, or live electronics, as well as making and presenting independent radio shows.
His studies have been supported by the Guildhall School Trust.
He enjoys two-word piece titles and crossword puzzles.
link to recent interview
- 21-06-2024
- Milton Court Concert Hall (UK)
- Plus-Minus Ensemble
- new works by Guildhall MMus composers
- 13-05-2024
- Milton Court Concert Hall (UK)
- EXAUDI Vocal Ensemble
- works by James Weeks, Zesses Seglias, and new works by Guildhall MMus composers
- 09-05-2024
- Milton Court Concert Hall (UK)
- soprano — Harriet Cameron
- piano — Jingyi Cao
- new works by Guildhall MMus composers
- 19-03-2024
- Milton Court Concert Hall (UK)
- violin — Victoria Willumsen Lewis
- piano — Yihan Chen
- new works by Guildhall MMus composers
- 01-12-2023
- The Place (UK)
- violas — Isobel Doncaster, Georgia Russell
- dancers — Charlotte Guilbert-Greene, Sally Hsu, Ashley Lin, Elvi Rose Christiansen Head
- new works by Guildhall MMus composers in collaboration with LCDS choreographers
- 30-11-2023
- The Place (UK)
- violas — Isobel Doncaster, Georgia Russell
- dancers — Charlotte Guilbert-Greene, Sally Hsu, Ashley Lin, Elvi Rose Christiansen Head
- new works by Guildhall MMus composers in collaboration with LCDS choreographers
- 26-11-2023
- unfinished
- Iklectik Art Lab (UK)
melodica, piano, voice, movement
- performing with fellow Guildhall Students as part of unfinished collective, led by Lara Agar and Sylvia Lim
- including a new text score (work in progress) by myself
- 29-09-2023
- Milton Court Concert Hall (UK)
- pianos — Yihan Chen, Maxime Trechsel
- new works by Guildhall MMus composers
- 01-10-2022
- Palazzo del Pugliese, Florence (IT)
- ‘cello — Francesco Dillon
- Lorenzo Romano — Unreasonable behavior
- Supriano — Toccata no. 5
- Abel — Arpeggiata
- Silvia Borzelli — here/folia (fp)