Bio

Ruhan Iyer is a composer and cellist based in Lexington, Massachusetts. He currently studies composition with Dr. Rodney Lister at the New England Conservatory Prep School. In addition to this, he studies cello with Ms. Allison Eldredge, and Indian Classical vocal music with Tara Bangalore.

As a cellist, Ruhan has won the Rivers Youth Orchestra Concerto Competition. He has also played in many high-level youth orchestras, including New England Conservatory’s YPO, Rivers Youth Symphony, and the nationally acclaimed Lexington High School Chamber Orchestra. He has attended many summer programs for both composition and cello, including Boston University Tanglewood Institute(BUTI), Altschuler Summer Music Institute(ASMI), and Greenwood Music Camp.

In the fall of 2025, Ruhan was commissioned by the New England Conservatory Prep School for a Fanfare to commemorate 75 years of the prep school. That fanfare has opened NEC Prep’s 75th anniversary concert and was written for the brass and percussion of the Massachusetts Youth Wind Ensemble. His works have also been performed by other youth orchestras within NEC Prep. In addition to NEC, Ruhan was commissioned by the Newton Cultural Alliance in April of 2025 to write a piece for Carnatic Voice, Carnatic Violin, Mridangam(a Carnatic Percussion Instrument), Piano, and Cello. His compositions have been performed locally across Massachusetts in Tanglewood, New England Conservatory, and Greenwood Music Camp, as well as in international festivals in Italy.