DIME Online has announced that Atar Shafighian will be joining their team as Head of Education.
Atar Shafighian has as many talents as there are keys on a piano—and one of those talents happens to be that he’s really good at playing the piano. But before Shafighian became the virtuoso and educator he is today, he honed his craft at London City’s University where he received a BMus (Hons); then, he was graduated with an MMus (Merit) in jazz performance from The Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
Now, Shafighian has worked in the music industry for over a decade as a recording artist, arranger, and as a virtuosic pianist. He is also a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education community. As the man in front of the classroom, Atar has worked in further education and higher education, which has given him a hefty résumé. Large scale curriculum development projects? Check. Making gargantuan contributions to highly successful Ofsted and QAA reviews? Been there—done that. Atar is also actively involved in improving students’ experiences at university by broadening institutional leadership and overseeing management initiatives. In other words, your education is in good hands. (Hands that are also good at the piano.)
Shafighian has produced, arranged, and composed music. He has owned a label, and released three albums as a signed artist, too. On top of that, he’s a gifted promoter; whilst working with The Institute of Contemporary Music Performance, he oversaw an initiative to bring the Grammy Award-winning, Brooklyn-based musicians in Snarky Puppy to the UK, where they were warmly received with a sold-out show in London.
When he’s not on tour in the music industry, Atar tours as a lecturer and subject specialist. He’s spoken to auditoriums such as The Royal Northern College of Music, The Prince’s Teaching Institute, and Spyken, which is in Lund, Sweden.
Atar joins DIME from The Institute of Contemporary Music Performance where he was Senior Lecturer and Programme Leader for the BA Hons in Creative Musicianship.
