Biography
Behdad Babaei was born on February 18, 1974, in Doha, Qatar. Music and art have always been deeply rooted in his family. At the age of seven, he began learning Persian classical music on the setar under the supervision of his uncle, Maestro Parviz Meshkatian. Simultaneously, he studied at the Chavosh Cultural and Artistic Center under Maestro Mohammad Firouzi.
Babaei learned the Iranian classical repertoire (Radif) according to the tradition of Maestro Nour-Ali Boroumand, known as Mirza Abdollah’s Radif, under both masters and continued studying and refining this repertoire with Maestro Meshkatian for many years. His extensive training in performance, improvisation, and modal development under Meshkatian enabled him to gain a profound understanding of Persian classical music. Through Maestro Meshkatian’s generous access to a rare archive of historical recordings and manuscripts, Babaei developed a deep appreciation for the stylistic diversity of the great masters of the setar tradition.
He later completed the Radif of Mirza Hossein Gholi under the supervision of Maestro Dariush Pirniakan and also studied with Maestro Mohammad Reza Lotfi’s disciple, Master Tolouei. Babaei had the privilege of attending advanced vocal masterclasses led by Maestro Mohammad Reza Shajarian, gaining valuable insight into the intricate relationship between Persian vocal and instrumental traditions.
In 1994, he joined the renowned Aref Ensemble under the direction of Maestro Parviz Meshkatian as a solo setar player. He participated in numerous concerts throughout Iran and internationally, and remained an active member of the ensemble until its final performance, “Ghoghnos,” held at Tehran’s Ministry of Interior Hall with vocals by Hamid Reza Nourbakhsh.
Throughout his career, Babaei has collaborated with many of Iran’s most distinguished vocalists, including Mohammad Reza Shajarian, Shahram Nazeri, Iraj Bastami, Hamid Reza Nourbakhsh, Alireza Eftekhari, Ali Jahandar, and Hesameddin Seraj. His performance and recording credits include albums such as Dar Khial, Vatan-e Man, Aref Ensemble Concert 97, Konj-e Sabouri, Lahzeh-ye Didar, Mast-e Hoshyar, Aseman, Atash-e Avazha, and Shahr-e Ashenayi.
As an independent artist, Babaei released the albums Badaheh Khani & Badaheh Navazi in collaboration with Iraj Bastami and Badaheh Navazi in Segah with Mohsen Kasir Al-Safar, the latter of which was published in Europe. He has also composed and released the albums Joy-e Noghreh Mahtab and Hasrat-e Khamoushi-am.
In recent years, Babaei has expanded his international artistic presence through a close and ongoing collaboration with composer and Shurangiz virtuoso Vahid Taremi. Together, Behdad Babaei and Vahid Taremi have developed a distinctive musical dialogue between Setar and Shurangiz, focusing on contemporary interpretations of Persian classical music and improvisation-based performance practice.
Their collaboration has been presented across Europe in both duo and ensemble formats, including performances with distinguished percussionists such as Madjid Khaladj and Navid Afghah. These projects have contributed to Babaei’s growing international presence and his continued artistic partnership with Vahid Taremi.
In 2025, Babaei and Vahid Taremi performed as a duo at the Institut für West-östliche Musik in Berlin, followed by a trio concert at the Aga Khan Centre in London with Madjid Khaladj. The collaboration further developed into the formation of the Nooshan Trio with Navid Afghah, presenting an extensive European tour including performances at the EFG London Jazz Festival (Rich Mix, London), as well as concerts in Manchester, Sheffield, Paris, Berlin, and Ghent.
The Nooshan Trio has become one of the most significant current projects in Babaei’s international career, presenting Persian modal music in dialogue with contemporary improvisation and intercultural performance contexts.
Mr. Babaei has been awarded the First Degree Art Certificate in Music, the highest artistic distinction granted by the Iranian Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, equivalent to a Ph.D. He has taught advanced Persian music at the Tehran University of Art and continues his research on the theory and history of Persian classical music.
His scholarly interests include the study of the Radif narrated by Montazem al-Hokama and transcribed by Mokhber al-Saltaneh Hedayat, as well as comparative analysis of the Radifs transmitted by masters such as Boroumand, Mirza Hossein Gholi, Mousa Ma’roufi, Abolhassan Saba, and Saeed Hormozi. He is currently preparing a book dedicated to the interpretation and comparative study of the stylistic approaches of prominent setar masters, including Abolhassan Saba, Ahmad Ebadi, Saeed Hormozi, Yousef Foroutan, and Arsalan Dargahi.
Behdad Babaei has participated in numerous international festivals and cultural events worldwide, and a collection of his compositions and scholarly writings is scheduled for publication in the near future.