Biography
Composer | Educator | Artistic Director
Imagination, innovation, and storytelling are at the heart of Dr. Parisa Sabet’s creative practice. As a composer, she crafts sonic landscapes that evoke emotions, conjure vivid imagery, and tell powerful stories—often addressing pressing social issues. Drawing from her Iranian heritage, Western classical training, and commitment to socially engaged art, she seeks to engage in cultural dialogue through music.
Dr. Sabet’s work spans electroacoustic, acoustic, and film music. Silent, one of her most recent interdisciplinary projects, was inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement in Toronto. Commissioned by the Charsu Quartet and supported by the Canada Council for the Arts, the piece blends composition and sound art, drawing inspiration from The Wind-Up Doll, a poem by influential Iranian poet Forough Farrokhzad. Another notable project, Blue Girl, created in collaboration with visual artist Rah, honors women who have self-immolated in protest against domestic violence and forced marriage. First presented at Nuit Blanche 2020 and recognized by Now Toronto as a "Stellar Highlight," it was later featured at Nuit Blanche 2022 in Mel Lastman Square.
Her research further enriches her creative process, deepening her engagement with cultural narratives. With support from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, she studied Čūb-Bāzī (“dance with sticks”), a banned yet secretly practiced Persian folk dance. Her orchestral composition Those Still Dancing emerged from this research, paying tribute to those who continue to preserve cultural traditions despite adversity.
As an educator, Dr. Sabet is committed to empowering students to find their artistic voices. Her initiative No Need to Vanish provides accessible, contemporary learning resources that help musicians from diverse backgrounds develop their creative identities. She is passionate about equipping emerging composers with the tools they need to tell their stories and share their perspectives.
Beyond composition and education, Dr. Sabet is a committed cultural leader. From 2019 to 2024, she served on the Board of Directors of the Aurora Cultural Centre, chairing its Governance and Nominating Committee. Since 2014, she has also produced Farsi-language podcasts on social issues for the Persian Baha’i Media Service in Washington, DC.
Her socially engaged projects have brought people together across cultural and political divides. The Dawn Initiative (2019), funded by the Ontario Arts Council, presented world premieres by an international lineup of composers, fostering conversations on social unity. As co-artistic director of the Israeli-Iranian Musical Initiative, she led concerts that celebrated Jewish, Israeli, and Iranian cultures, drawing diverse audiences who might not otherwise share a space.
Dr. Sabet’s debut album, A Cup of Sins (2022), features a collection of her acoustic and electroacoustic works, confronting themes of human rights, oppression, violence against women, and freedom of speech. The album was made possible with support from the Ontario Arts Council and the Canada Council for the Arts.
She holds a Doctor of Musical Arts, a Master of Music in Composition, and a Master of Music Technology and Digital Media from the University of Toronto, where she received distinctions such as the Mirkopoulos and Miller/Khoshkish fellowships and the Tecumesh Sherman Rogers Graduating Award. Her mentors include Christos Hatzis, Keith Tedman, Kyong Mee Choi, Ka Nin Chan, and Stacy Garrop.
Through all her work, Dr. Sabet remains committed to using music as a bridge—connecting people, stories, and cultures in meaningful ways.
