Lloyd Miller

Dr. Miller studied Persian music in Iran in 1959 then in the 1960s in Paris with master Daryush Safvat at Centre d'Études de Musique Orientale. He also studied 12 Eastern languages at Unversité de Geneve in Switzerland and at École Nationale des Langues Orientales Vivantes in Paris. After developing Oriental Jazz in the 1960s and winning 3 trophies at the Intercollegiate Jazz Festival plus a national collegiate composer‘s prize, Miller was awarded a Fulbright to research music in Iran. From 1970 to 1977 in Tehran, he became arts critic for several publications writing over 150 articles under different names eventually influencing Tehran’s music scene in favor of tradition. He attended and worked for the Shiraz Arts Festival and Tehran Film Festival several years and became a celebrated TV personality hosting his own prime-time weekly jazz and world music show. Beginning in 1963, Miller has authored over 20 books on music of various traditions including his PhD dissertation published as Music and Song in Persia by Rutledge Curzon. Since 1966, Miller taught Eastern music at University of Utah 10 years and 4 years at Brigham Young University. He plays over 100 instruments in 15 world traditions and directs 12 music ensembles