Mehrnoosh Zolfaghari is an Iranian musician, composer, and santoor player based in Helsinki, Finland. Rooted in the Persian classical tradition and trained in the radif repertoire, she has spent more than two decades studying, performing, and developing the santoor, bringing its rich heritage into dialogue with contemporary musical practices and intercultural collaboration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Born in Iran, Mehrnoosh earned both her Bachelor\u2019s and Master\u2019s degrees in Music Performance from the College of Fine Arts at the University of Tehran, graduating as class valedictorian. She later completed a Master\u2019s degree in Global Music at the Sibelius Academy, University of the Arts Helsinki, where she is currently pursuing a Doctor of Arts in Music (D.A. Mus.). Since 2023, she has taught Persian Music Ensemble at the Sibelius Academy, introducing Persian musical traditions to students from diverse cultural and musical backgrounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As a performer, Mehrnoosh specialises in Persian classical music, improvisation, and intercultural collaboration, creating artistic dialogues between Persian traditions and contemporary global practices. She has appeared at festivals and venues across Europe and the Middle East \u2014 including the Kaustinen Folk Music Festival, Etnosoi, the Oulu Festival, and a solo concert at the Institute of Eastern and Western Music in Berlin. In 2026, she appeared as a featured soloist in Nouse Luonto \u2013 Songs of Nordic Biodiversity<\/em> at the Helsinki Music Centre, a project whose concert was reviewed in Helsingin Sanomat<\/em> and whose album was reviewed in Songlines<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As a composer, Mehrnoosh works across Persian classical music, contemporary world fusion, and film scoring. She won first prize at the Gilgamesh International Composition Competition. She is the author of published works for santoor, including 22 Chahar Mezrab for Santoor<\/em> and Awakening (\u0628\u06cc\u062f\u0627\u0631\u06cc)<\/em>, reflecting her ongoing commitment to the instrument\u2019s repertoire and pedagogy. Her recordings include the solo album Mirror<\/em> and several releases with the Mahoor Institute of Culture and Arts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Alongside her artistic practice, Mehrnoosh is active in music communication and cultural engagement. Through her work with Genelec and as host of the podcast Uncovering Music ID<\/em>, she creates platforms for musicians to share their artistic journeys, cultural heritage, and creative identities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Across her work as a performer, composer, educator, researcher, and communicator, Mehrnoosh is driven by a commitment to preserving musical heritage while creating meaningful connections between cultures through music.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Mehrnoosh Zolfaghari is an Iranian musician, composer, and santoor player based in Helsinki, Finland. Rooted in the Persian classical tradition and trained in the radif repertoire, she has spent more than two decades studying, performing, and developing the santoor, bringing its rich heritage into dialogue with contemporary musical practices and intercultural collaboration. 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