Milad Yousufi was born in 1995 during the civil war in Afghanistan. At that time the Taliban were ruling Afghanistan, and music was completely banned. At the age of two he started drawing. He drew the piano keys on paper and pretended to play.
Milad Yousufi is a pianist, composer, conductor, poet, singer, painter and calligrapher. Yousufi’s work is deeply inspired by his country and culture.
When the Taliban rule was lifted after a period of five years, the arts flourished in Afghanistan Milad took advantage of every opportunity to learn and study music and art. By the age of 12 he was teaching painting and was able to attend the one and only music school in Kabul, after only three years of formal piano training, Milad was one of four students accepted into a music program in Denmark; He was also chosen to represent Afghanistan at various music festivals in The Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, and Germany. He placed third in the International Golden Key competition in Frankfurt, Germany.
Upon his return to Afghanistan, Milad concentrated on teaching piano, theory, and a course of music notation program (Sibelius) at the Afghanistan National Institute of Music.
In 2011 The Afghan Youth Orchestra was formed. Milad was the pianist and then became the first Afghan conductor and arranged music for their performances.
In 2013 the Afghan Youth Orchestra made a U.S. tour playing sold-out concerts in Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and New England Conservatory where he performed as a pianist.
Upon moving to the United States, Milad was awarded a full scholarship to attend Mannes School of Music as an undergraduate and studied piano with the world-renowned pianist Simone Dinnerstein, he graduated from Mannes School of Music in spring 2020. Milad received his masters degree in composition under Dr. Dalit Warshaw's mentorship from Brooklyn College in 2022. He had the opportunity to compose for The New York Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra, premiered at Lincoln Center; Refugee Orchestra Project; Kronos Quartet, premiered in Carnegie Hall; Music Worcester, Terezin Music Foundation, premiered in Boston Symphony Hall. Refugee Orchestra Project, premiered at the Barbican Center in London, Raleigh Civic Symphony Orchestra, Trio Solisti, Worcester Chamber Music Society and Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra. Upcoming commissions includeThe VISION Collective and Musaics of the Bay. Milad is on the directory board of Musaics of the Bay, the VISION Collective, an ambassador for Arium TV.
In 2022 Hollywood made a movie about Milad Yousufi's life called (Paper Piano), released on Apple TV, "Little America" Season 2 Episode #7 (Paper Piano).
Yousufi has a dream to make a difference in the future of music and culture in Afghanistan.
Photo by Virginia L. S. Freire
Milad Yousufi is a pianist, composer, conductor, poet, singer, painter and calligrapher. Yousufi’s work is deeply inspired by his country and culture.
When the Taliban rule was lifted after a period of five years, the arts flourished in Afghanistan Milad took advantage of every opportunity to learn and study music and art. By the age of 12 he was teaching painting and was able to attend the one and only music school in Kabul, after only three years of formal piano training, Milad was one of four students accepted into a music program in Denmark; He was also chosen to represent Afghanistan at various music festivals in The Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, and Germany. He placed third in the International Golden Key competition in Frankfurt, Germany.
Upon his return to Afghanistan, Milad concentrated on teaching piano, theory, and a course of music notation program (Sibelius) at the Afghanistan National Institute of Music.
In 2011 The Afghan Youth Orchestra was formed. Milad was the pianist and then became the first Afghan conductor and arranged music for their performances.
In 2013 the Afghan Youth Orchestra made a U.S. tour playing sold-out concerts in Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and New England Conservatory where he performed as a pianist.
Upon moving to the United States, Milad was awarded a full scholarship to attend Mannes School of Music as an undergraduate and studied piano with the world-renowned pianist Simone Dinnerstein, he graduated from Mannes School of Music in spring 2020. Milad received his masters degree in composition under Dr. Dalit Warshaw's mentorship from Brooklyn College in 2022. He had the opportunity to compose for The New York Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra, premiered at Lincoln Center; Refugee Orchestra Project; Kronos Quartet, premiered in Carnegie Hall; Music Worcester, Terezin Music Foundation, premiered in Boston Symphony Hall. Refugee Orchestra Project, premiered at the Barbican Center in London, Raleigh Civic Symphony Orchestra, Trio Solisti, Worcester Chamber Music Society and Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra. Upcoming commissions includeThe VISION Collective and Musaics of the Bay. Milad is on the directory board of Musaics of the Bay, the VISION Collective, an ambassador for Arium TV.
In 2022 Hollywood made a movie about Milad Yousufi's life called (Paper Piano), released on Apple TV, "Little America" Season 2 Episode #7 (Paper Piano).
Yousufi has a dream to make a difference in the future of music and culture in Afghanistan.
Photo by Virginia L. S. Freire
