Talebi has held residencies at the Ledig House International Writer's Residency at Omi International Arts Center, the Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts, the American Lyric Theater’s Composer/Librettist Development Program, the Washington National Opera's American Opera Initiative, and John Zorn's The Stone during Visionintoart's inaugural Ferus Festival in 2014.
Her most recent multidisciplinary project is her hybrid memoir, Self-Portrait in Bloom, and its companion opera, Abraham in Flames, both inspired by the life and work of the Iranian poet, Ahmad Shamlou.
The Persian Rite of Spring[4] (World premiere, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, March 14, 2010) is a 35-min multimedia performance that brings to life the mythology, poetry, music, and folklore of Nowruz/Norouz from Winter Solstice through 13-bedar: یلدا جشن سده چهارشنبه سوری نوروز سیزده بدر.
Talebi wrote the libretto for this song cycle reflecting on the decade since 9/11 with composer Mark Grey for Soprano Jessica Rivera and tenor Stuart Skelton.
The chamber version of Ātash Sorushān (Fire Angels) was co-commissioned by Meet the Composer, Carnegie Hall (World premiere, March 29, 2011),[5] and Cal Performances,[6] (West Coast-premiere, April 3, 2011).
The Disinherited is set in 1983 Tehran during the Iran-Iraq war, when the fate and safety of a young boy who could be forced to walk over and clear minefields lies between tightly held family secrets.
Talebi is librettist for an immersive requiem inspired by the Latin Mass and Tibetan Book of the Dead, with composer-impresario and Visionintoart founder, Paola Prestini, and visual artist Ali Hossaini and the Young People's Chorus of New York City founded by MacArthur Fellow Francisco J. Núñez.
"[8] A 70-minute, one-act opera inspired by the life and writings of Iranian poet, Ahmad Shamlou (1925-2000), conceived and created by Talebi with director Roy Rallo and composer Aleksandra Vrebalov.
[16] "Self-Portrait in Bloom (l'Aleph, 2019)[17] is a lyrical exploration of the self, of releasing the past and making sense of the deep pain that once examined, leads to an unsteady freedom.
[20] On March 9, 2019, Niloufar delivered a talk at UC Berkeley titled, "On Making Beauty After Agony," on how she harnessed the obstacles presented to her in introducing the work of Ahmad Shamlou to Western audiences into creating Self-Portrait in Bloom and Abraham in Flames.
[21] "Funeral Address,"[22] a videopoem by Niloufar Talebi and Bobak Salehi that brings to life Ahmad Shamlou's poem, "خطابه ی تدفین", was released on July 23, 2020 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the revolutionary poet's passing.