Passionate about performing music from different cultures, Asieh Mahyar serves as the interim Director of Orchestral Studies at Pacific Lutheran University and Symphony Orchestra Conductor at West Seattle Community Orchestra. A Doctor of Musical Arts candidate in Orchestral Conducting at Michigan State University, Ms. Mahyar received her MM in Orchestral Conducting from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and her BM in Choral Conducting from Komitas State Conservatory of Yerevan, Armenia.
Coming from Iran and one of the very few female conductors from her country, Ms. Mahyar has broad experience working with ensembles at different labels and countries. Her international experience includes roles as Assistant Conductor at MSU, MI, UMass Amherst, MA, and Tchaikovsky Music College, Armenia, as well as collaborations with professional orchestras like the Grand Rapids Symphony and Mansfield Symphony Orchestra. Her dedication to music education is evident through collaborations with high school Orchestras, festivals and conferences as a clinician and adjudicator including WMEA Conference Junior All-State Orchestra, Lake Stevens HS Solo Ensemble Competition (MPMEA), PLU Invitational High School Orchestra Festival, Mercer Island High School Festival, WA, Warner Middle School Orchestra, MI, Stadium High School Orchestra, WA, Bellevue High School Orchestra, WA, and Curtis Senior High School Orchestra. Ms. Mahyar works equally with instrumental and vocal ensembles and leads full opera productions. Selected for prestigious workshops and conferences, Ms. Mahyar continues to contribute to the global music community, fostering cultural diversity and musical excellence.
Ms. Mahyar has been selected to participate in prestigious conducting workshops and conferences including Cabrillo Music Festival with Christian Macelaru and Octavio Más-Arocas, National Music Festival with Richard Rosenberg, Eastern Music Festival with Gerard Schwarz, Conducting Institute with Miguel Hart-Bedoya, Conductors Retreat at Medomak with Kenneth Kiesler, and Choral Conducting Workshop with Antanina Kalechyts.