Manoochehr Sadeghi

Manoochehr Sadeghi was born in Tehran, Iran, to music-loving parents. They bought him a santur — a Persian hammered dulcimer — when he was seven, and by age 10 he became a student of Abol Hassan Saba, a legendary figure in Persian classical music. By age 17, Sadeghi was performing as a soloist in Saba’s orchestra and giving lessons at the Conservatory of Persian National Music in Tehran.

In 1964 he immigrated to the United States. As a follower of the Baháʼí faith, which faced persecution from Iranian authorities, he says moving to the United States was “the best thing I ever did. . . . That’s why I love this country. Because of the freedom.”

Sadeghi is now regarded as a leading santur master. His virtuosity has made him a cultural staple of both the Persian American community and the broader musical landscape. He has performed throughout the United States, reaching audiences unfamiliar with Persian music, and lectured for many years at the University of California, Los Angeles. Sadeghi also founded the Nakisa Music Institute to create further outlets to learn about the art of the santur and Persian musical traditions. “I love teaching, and I feel that it’s an opportunity [to] give back to the Americans and Persians and the world community,” he said in an interview with the National Endowment for the Arts.

In 2000 Sadeghi received the Durfee Foundation Master Musician Fellowship and in 2003 was named an NEA National Heritage Fellow, the highest honor in folk and traditional arts in the United States.