Omid Zoufonoun is a conductor, guitarist, educator, and award-winning composer. His concert commissions aim to blend his Persian musical heritage, learned under the guidance of his father, Ostad Mahmoud Zoufonoun, with western practices of counterpoint, harmony, and orchestration. Recent commissions include a Cello Sonata for the duet Martha & Monica, a guitar octet for the Guitar Foundation of America, a choral setting of four Rumi poems for Pacific Edge Voices, and a four-movement orchestral work for the Oakland Symphony Youth Orchestra. Zoufonoun conducted the premiere of this latter work at the Scottish Rite Temple in Oakland, and a professional première followed by Oakland Symphony, under the direction of Maestro Michael Morgan. As conductor, Zoufonoun’s recent recording of Bill Horvitz’ suite, A Long Walk, was featured as an Editor’s Pick in Downbeat magazine.