Following Rahbari’s departure, the orchestra entered a new phase under the guidance of an artistic council, with Shahrdad Rouhani—another prominent Iranian conductor—at the podium. Rouhani’s leadership soon became permanent when Ali Akbar Safipour, CEO of the Rudaki Foundation, officially appointed him as the orchestra’s permanent conductor in August 2016. Rouhani brought renewed visibility to the ensemble with frequent performances and international collaborations.
In the winter of 2019, Rouhani abruptly left Iran, creating uncertainty within the orchestra. From abroad, he announced his resignation on June 1, 2020, via Instagram, marking the end of another significant era in the orchestra’s leadership. After Rouhani, Nasir Heydarian served as the permanent conductor from August 1401 to October 1402, guiding the orchestra through a period of restructuring and artistic recalibration. He was followed by Manouchehr Sehbai, a distinguished musician and conductor, who held the position from October 1402 to March 1403.
A major development occurred in April 2025 when Mohammad Elahyari Foumani, CEO of the Rudaki Foundation, reappointed Nasir Heydarian as the permanent conductor of the Tehran Symphony Orchestra. This marked Heydarian’s second term in the role, underscoring both his long-standing contributions and the trust placed in him to lead Iran’s most historic symphonic institution into a new chapter.
