Kourosh Taghavi was born in Gorgan, Iran in 1965. After his migration to the United States in 1984 he began studying the Setar with Ms. Partow Houshmand-Rad. He later had the great fortune to continue his studies of the Setar and classical music of Iran with Ostad Mohammad Reza Lotfi and Ostad Hossein Alizadeh. These ongoing studies are the source of his unique approach to the art of Iranian music. Taghavi’s passionate and melodic approach to music is the foundation of his many collaborations and recordings with numerous artists performing both the traditional and modern art forms of Iranian music.

Taghavi is one of the founding members of Goosheh, Seda and Namâd Ensembles with which he has toured throughout the US. He is also a founding member of The Sayeh Poetry and Music Society. His recent collaborations, celebrating the poetry and life of Rumi, with renowned master artists such as Hossein Omoumi, Robert Bly and Coleman Barks are some of the highlights of his efforts in promoting Persian classical music and poetry. As a faculty member of San Diego State University, Taghavi taught the Radiff of Persian classical music and oversaw related theses. He has been teaching the Setar throughout California, lecturing, composing original music for plays, creating compositions based on contemporary Iranian poetry, and recording passionate solo pieces. These are only few of many goals Taghavi has accomplished in his passionate quest for introducing and promoting Persian classical music.