Danial Sheibani is an Iranian Canadian composer and conductor recognized by CBC’s 30 Under 30 Classical Musicians list as an emerging voice in contemporary music. His work spans concert halls and media, from composing the soundtrack for an Amazon Prime series to receiving a touring commission from the National Youth Orchestra of Canada. His music has been performed by leading ensembles including the Verona Quartet, the University of Toronto Opera and Symphony Orchestra, the Rhythm Method Quartet, and the Standing Wave Ensemble. Performances of his work have taken place at Koerner Hall, Winspear Centre, TCU Place, Sprague Hall at Yale, and Harbourfront Centre, as well as at major festivals such as the Norfolk New Music Festival and the Lake George Music Festival. His compositions have been broadcast by CBC and featured across major streaming platforms. Alongside his composing, he is also the co-founder and conductor of the Blank Canvas Sound Collective, a contemporary ensemble dedicated to immersive, boundary-pushing concert experiences that serve as an underground vanguard championing the voices of the post-modern avant-garde. Sheibani’s compositions explore themes surrounding the imperfections of the human psyche, working with evocative soundscapes that aim to create trance-like atmospheres and challenge the listener’s perception of time. With every piece, he seeks to evoke vivid imagery drawn from the listener’s memories and to introduce them to new worlds of sensation, thought, and feeling. A graduate of the University of Toronto, where he was awarded the Carolyn and Robert Lake Graduating Award, Sheibani studied composition primarily with Christos Hatzis and Gary Kulesha, Richard Danielpour, and David Serkin Ludwig. He has also worked under the mentorship of leading composers of the 21st century, including Ana Sokolović, Martin Bresnick, Donnacha Dennehy, Reza Vali, and Philippe Leroux, as well as conductor Joe Miller. Several works from his catalogue have been published by Modern Sound Collective, Alea Publishing, and Sonaria.

Danial Sheibani

Danial Sheibani is an Iranian Canadian composer and conductor recognized by CBC’s 30 Under 30 Classical Musicians list as an emerging voice in contemporary music. His work spans concert halls and media, from composing the soundtrack for an Amazon Prime series to receiving a touring commission from the National Youth Orchestra of Canada. His music has been performed by leading ensembles including the Verona Quartet, the University of Toronto Opera and Symphony Orchestra, the Rhythm Method Quartet, and the Standing Wave Ensemble. Performances of his work have taken place at Koerner Hall, Winspear Centre, TCU Place, Sprague Hall at Yale, and Harbourfront Centre, as well as at major festivals such as the Norfolk New Music Festival and the Lake George Music Festival. His compositions have been broadcast by CBC and featured across major streaming platforms. Alongside his composing, he is also the co-founder and conductor of the Blank Canvas Sound Collective, a contemporary ensemble dedicated to immersive, boundary-pushing concert experiences that serve as an underground vanguard championing the voices of the post-modern avant-garde. Sheibani’s compositions explore themes surrounding the imperfections of the human psyche, working with evocative soundscapes that aim to create trance-like atmospheres and challenge the listener’s perception of time. With every piece, he seeks to evoke vivid imagery drawn from the listener’s memories and to introduce them to new worlds of sensation, thought, and feeling. A graduate of the University of Toronto, where he was awarded the Carolyn and Robert Lake Graduating Award, Sheibani studied composition primarily with Christos Hatzis and Gary Kulesha, Richard Danielpour, and David Serkin Ludwig. He has also worked under the mentorship of leading composers of the 21st century, including Ana Sokolović, Martin Bresnick, Donnacha Dennehy, Reza Vali, and Philippe Leroux, as well as conductor Joe Miller. Several works from his catalogue have been published by Modern Sound Collective, Alea Publishing, and Sonaria.

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Danial Sheibani is an Iranian Canadian composer and conductor recognized by CBC’s 30 Under 30 Classical Musicians list as an emerging voice in contemporary music. His work spans concert halls and media, from composing the soundtrack for an Amazon Prime series to receiving a touring commission from the National Youth Orchestra of Canada. His music has been performed by leading ensembles including the Verona Quartet, the University of Toronto Opera and Symphony Orchestra, the Rhythm Method Quartet, and the Standing Wave Ensemble. Performances of his work have taken place at Koerner Hall, Winspear Centre, TCU Place, Sprague Hall at Yale, and Harbourfront Centre, as well as at major festivals such as the Norfolk New Music Festival and the Lake George Music Festival. His compositions have been broadcast by CBC and featured across major streaming platforms.

Alongside his composing, he is also the co-founder and conductor of the Blank Canvas Sound Collective, a contemporary ensemble dedicated to immersive, boundary-pushing concert experiences that serve as an underground vanguard championing the voices of the post-modern avant-garde.

Sheibani’s compositions explore themes surrounding the imperfections of the human psyche, working with evocative soundscapes that aim to create trance-like atmospheres and challenge the listener’s perception of time. With every piece, he seeks to evoke vivid imagery drawn from the listener’s memories and to introduce them to new worlds of sensation, thought, and feeling.

A graduate of the University of Toronto, where he was awarded the Carolyn and Robert Lake Graduating Award, Sheibani studied composition primarily with Christos Hatzis and Gary Kulesha, Richard Danielpour, and David Serkin Ludwig. He has also worked under the mentorship of leading composers of the 21st century, including Ana Sokolović, Martin Bresnick, Donnacha Dennehy, Reza Vali, and Philippe Leroux, as well as conductor Joe Miller. Several works from his catalogue have been published by Modern Sound Collective, Alea Publishing, and Sonaria.

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Language

English
Fluent
Persian
Fluent

Work Experience

Lead Composer at Turbulence Studios
September 8, 2021 - July 30, 2023
Lead Composer for Red Sands, TV Series (150+minutes of music). First episode has premiered on Amazon Prime with the rest on TUBI. - Composer for The Scruff, short comedy film. - Composer for One Good Thing, short comedy film.

Education

Bachelor of Music: Composition at University of Toronto
September 9, 2021 - June 24, 2025
Composition Program at Lake George Music Festival 2025
June 8, 2025 - June 20, 2025
Mentors: Alyssa Weinberg, Amy Beth Kirsten, Donnacha Dennehy
Film Composition Program at SPO New Generation Film Composer's Workshop 2025
February 1, 2025 - March 10, 2025
New Music Workshop (Composition Residency/Fellowship) at Norfolk Chamber Music Festival – Yale School of Music (2024)
June 12, 2024 - June 19, 2024
Mentors: Martin Bresnick, Lisa Moore, Katherine Balch, Christopher Theofanidis, Aaron Jay Kernis, David Lang.
International Conducting Training Program 2024 at University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music
September 20, 2025 - September 20, 2025
COMPOCON 2023 at The Standing Wave Ensemble
August 24, 2023 - August 31, 2023
Mentors: Edward Top, Rita Ueda, Jeffrey Ryan.
Composers Workshop at Cascade Conducting
July 1, 2023 - July 8, 2023
Mentors: David Serkin Ludwig, Gabriella Smith, Sarah Ioannides, Geffrey Boers.
Composition Program at Lunenburg Academy of Music Performance
June 10, 2023 - June 22, 2023
Mentors: Ana Sokolovic, Phillipe Leroux, Dinuk Wijeratne, Roydon Tse.

Qualifications

The Carolyn and Robert Lake Graduating Award
June 24, 2025 - June 24, 2025
This award is to be granted to a graduating student who is deemed to have the greatest potential to make an important contribution to the field of music.
SOCAN Young Composer Award: Large Ensemble
October 21, 2024 - October 21, 2024
The SOCAN Foundation 21 and under award for Large Ensemble Category: Out of Thin Air.
SOCAN Young Composer Award: Chamber Ensemble
October 21, 2024 - October 21, 2024
The SOCAN Foundation 21 and under award for Chamber Ensemble Category: Trepidation Lake
MenAloud Richard Bowles Memorial Scholarship
July 25, 2024 - July 25, 2024
Awarded to a gifted voice student in performance (second year) tenor, bass or bass-baritone at the University of Toronto.
Gwendolyn M. Grant Music Scholarship
July 25, 2024 - July 25, 2024
Awarded to an undergraduate student enrolled full-time in the composition program of the Faculty of Music.
David & Marcia Beach Summer Study Award
May 15, 2024 - May 15, 2024
To be awarded to promising upper-year students in all undergraduate and graduate music programs who demonstrate financial need to provide support for continued study outside the academic session.
Ontario Remembrance Scholarship
January 10, 2024 - January 10, 2024
In the University of Toronto, this scholarship is awarded to one undergraduate student who has demonstrated academic excellence and financial need.
SOCAN Young Composer Award: Large Ensemble
October 15, 2023 - October 15, 2023
The SOCAN Foundation 21 and under award for Large Ensemble Category: Freedom Uncanny
The SOCAN Foundation/NYO Emerging Composers Mentorship Program
October 15, 2023 - July 19, 2024
Was commissioned to compose for the National Youth Orchestra of Canada. Work premiered in Koerner Hall (Toronto), Winspear Theatre (Edmonton), and TCU Place (Saskatoon).
Lloyd Bradshaw Prize
August 25, 2023 - August 25, 2023
Award for a student who shows the potential to make a significant contribution in choral conducting. Funded by the University of Toronto.
Arthur Plettner Scholarship
July 30, 2022 - July 30, 2022
Scholarship for Demonstrating outstanding music and academic potential. Funded by the University of Toronto.
Bert Weir Memorial Commission Prize
August 10, 2024 - August 10, 2024
Commissioned to write a string orchestra piece for the Whispering River Orchestra titled Her Journey, Blossom. Conducted by Brenda Muller, Artistic Director. Premiered in Parry Sound, ON. September 2024.
Eastern Horizon Choral Competition Winner
August 31, 2022 - August 31, 2022
The Affable Enigma performed by the Eastern Horizon Choir. Conducted by Thomas Burton and performed in Halifax, NS. June.

Industry Experience

Education, Media & Entertainment
    paper Vengeance

    Animated and written by Branan Ranjanathan

    paper Out of Thin Air

    Composed for the National Youth Orchestra of Canada. Premiered at Koerner Hall, Toronto, and recorded by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC):