Sonia Forouzanfar     

​

Sonia was born in 1986 in Tehran, Iran. She has been playing the Setar since the 1990s, and began taking lessons in music theory and the Radif of Persian classical music with Nabi Ahmadi, a master musician in Iran. Her experience as a performer began with Chavosh Ensamble, with whom she performed several concerts in different cities in Iran. In 2005, Sonia attended Hamid Sokooti’s master classes to further improve her musical techniques. After graduating from Veterinary School, Sonia decided to seek her fortune abroad, moving to Melbourne, Australia in 2012. As soon as she settled here she began attending Puya Mehman Pazir’s classes, mostly centred on music theory, solfegio, and technical improvements for string instruments such as Setar and Tanbour. Sonia has a strong passion for Western classical music as well as Persian traditional music. In 2015, Sonia began learning the Cello, which she always desired to play, under well-known cellist, Nils Hobiger. Sonia’s interest in music is not limited to playing a few instruments; she has also pursued music research as part of her previous career as a Vetenerian. In her current career as a registered psychiatrist nurse, Sonia found music to be a powerful tool for soul growth and improving quality of life among people with mental health illness