Samin Baghtcheban

Samin Baghtcheban
Born	1925 Tabriz, Iran
Died	19 March 2008 Istanbul, Turkey
Occupation	Composer, musician, author
Spouse(s)	Evelyn Baghtcheban

Samin Baghtcheban (Persian: ثمین باغچه‌بان ‎‎, Turkish: Samin Bahçeban) (variations: Baghcheban, Baqcheban, Bahceban) (1925 – 19 March 2008) was an Iranian musician, composer, author and translator.

Samin Baghtcheban was born in 1925 in Tabriz to an Azeri family, and grew up in Shiraz and Tehran, where his father established the first modern kindergartens and schools for the deaf in Iran. His father, Jabbar Baghtcheban, was a leading Iranian educator and pioneer of Persian cued speech.

In 1944 Samin Baghtcheban was awarded a scholarship to study music composition in Ankara State Conservatory. He returned to Iran in 1949 and started teaching in Music Conservatory of Tehran.

He was married to the opera singer, Evelyn Baghtcheban, whom he met while studying in Ankara.

In 1984 he moved to Turkey with his family where he continued his activities and composed several new pieces, some of which were performed by Manouchehr Sahbai in Switzerland.

He died on 19 March 2008 in Istanbul.

Throughout his career he composed numerous pieces based on Iranian folklore or mythology. His most popular work is Rangin Kamoon (Rainbow), a collection of symphonic and choral tunes for children.

Between 1948 and 1979, in addition to his composition activities, he wrote and translated several books and articles. Baghtcheban translated several books by Turkish authors Nazim Hikmet, Yaşar Kemal and introduced the humorist Aziz Nesin to Iranians.

In 1963, along with a group of prominent teachers and educators, including Lily Ahi, Touran Mirhadi and Abbas Yamini Sharif, Baghtcheban confounded the Children's Book Council (CBC) of Iran. The council is an NGO focused on developing and promoting children's literature in Iran.

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