Her exile took her first to Britain, then France, and finally the United States. She often spoke about her profound sense of loss and disconnection from her homeland. The national anthems of foreign countries would move her to tears. In exile, she was a woman without a country but never without her music. She once remarked, “I either had to return to Iran and play in secret or cooperate with the Islamic Republic.”
Despite her isolation, Mahin Zarinpanjeh remained productive. She composed over 60 pieces of music during her years abroad. Some of her works found their way into orchestras across the world. One of her most evocative compositions, “Song of Conquest of the Night,” was inspired by the events of the 2009 Iranian presidential elections and the subsequent Green Movement. In her words, the piece was an expression of solidarity with the oppressed citizens of Iran. The poem was written by Iraj Jannati Ataei, sung by Shamim Azadeh, arranged by Rafael Sanchez, and directed by Shahram Ghader.
Mahin’s magnum opus may well be her “Opera of Lily and Majnun,” conducted by Bohdan Jarmulovic and performed by the Baltica Symphony Orchestra. The work was eventually published in Iran by the Mahur Cultural and Artistic Institute. It stands as a testament to her enduring connection to Persian musical traditions and her ability to reinterpret them in new, transcendent forms.