Aftab Darvishi was born in Tehran, Iran in 1987. As a child she studied violin and kamancheh before turning her attention to piano. At the University of Tehran she studied music performance, and after graduating with honors, began to collaborate with artists working in other media such as animation, theatre, and short films. In 2010 she moved to Amsterdam to study music composition for film at the Conservatorium Van Amsterdam, where she gained her Master’s degree in 2012. She then attended the Royal Conservatory of the Hague where she studied composition while also studying Karnatic music at the Conservatory of Amsterdam. She graduated from the Royal Conservatory in 2015.
Aftab creates unusual combinations of vocal styles, mixing different musical cultures. Her work has been performed by various ensembles in Europe and Asia, including Orkest De Ereprijs, Riccioti Ensemble, Oerknal Ensemble, and the Royal Ensemble. She has attended various artist residencies such as AiEP Contemporary Dance Company (Milan), Kinitiras studio (Athens) and the Akropoditi Dance Center (Syros). In 2016, she became the first woman to be awarded the Tenso Young Composers Award.