Abdolbaqi Afsharnia Information

Abdolnaqi Afshar-Nia (born August 23, 1951, Dezful) is one of Iran’s most distinguished ney (Persian reed flute) players, educators, and key figures in Persian classical music. A founding member of the Sheyda Ensemble and a long-time collaborator with masters such as Mohammad-Reza Lotfi and Mohammad-Reza Shajarian, he has left an indelible mark on Iranian traditional music.

 Life and Education

Abdolnaqi Afshar-Nia was born on August 23, 1951, in Dezful, Khuzestan Province. He began learning the ney at the age of 12 under local masters. In 1969, he received his high-school diploma and moved to Tehran to study statistics. After completing his degree in 1973, he enrolled at the Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of Tehran, where he studied under legendary figures such as Nur-Ali Borumand, Dariush Safvat, and attended the open vocal classes of Mahmoud Karimi. In 1978, he earned his bachelor’s degree in Iranian music from the University of Tehran.

 Artistic Career

Afshar-Nia began his professional career in 1971 with the Jeunesse Musicale Orchestra of Iran under the direction of Sa’di Hoseyni. In 1975, he became one of the founding members of the Sheyda Ensemble, led by Mohammad-Reza Lotfi, performing at the National Iranian Radio and Television during the period when Houshang Ebtehaj (H. E. Sayeh) headed its music section.

After the 1979 Revolution, he joined the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance in 1986. From 1987 he taught at music conservatories, and from 1990 at the music faculties of the University of Art, University of Tehran, Soureh University, Islamic Azad University, and the University of Applied Science and Technology. His students include prominent ney players such as Siamak Jahangiri and Pasha Hanjani.

Upon Mohammad-Reza Lotfi’s return to Iran in 2006, Afshar-Nia became a core member of the Sheyda Educational Institute and the Mirza Abdollah School, continuing to teach traditional radif and collaborate with the revived Sheyda Ensemble. He has performed numerous improvisational (bedāhe-nawāzi) concerts with Lotfi and Shajarian and has appeared as a soloist and ensemble player on stages both in Iran and abroad.

 Notable Recordings (selected)

– Ney solo on Chavosh 1 (“In Memory of Aref”) – vocals: Mohammad-Reza Shajarian, composition: Mohammad-Reza Lotfi

– Chavosh 3, Chavosh 6 (Sepidehdeh), Chavosh 7, Chavosh 8, Chavosh 9

– The Enigma of Existence (Mo’ammā-ye Hasti) – vocals: Mohammad-Reza Shajarian, composition: Mohammad-Reza Lotfi, with Homayoun Shajarian

– Shourangiz and Nowruz – vocals: Shahram Nazeri, composition: Hossein Alizadeh

– In Imagination (Dar Khiyāl) – vocals: Mohammad-Reza Shajarian, composition: Majid Derakhshani

– Māl-Konun – vocals: Masoud Bakhtiari, composition: Ata Janguk

– Delshodegan – composition: Hossein Alizadeh, vocals: Mohammad-Reza Shajarian

– Maqām-e Sabr – vocals: Alireza Eftekhari, composition: Parviz Meshkatian

– Beykhod Shodeh (1997 Zurich concert with Mohammad-Reza Lotfi and others)

 Educational Works

Afshar-Nia has authored a highly regarded three-volume instructional series for the ney, which remains a primary resource for students of the instrument in Iran.

 Jury and Advisory Roles

He has served as a jury member and expert at numerous festivals, including the Young Music Festival of Iran.