Lily Afshar (; 9 March 1960 – 24 October 2023) was an Iranian-American

classical guitar The classical guitar, also known as Spanish guitar, is a member of the guitar family used in classical music and other styles. An acoustic wooden string (music), string instrument with strings made of catgut, gut or nylon, it is a precursor of the ...

ist.

Life and career

Afshar moved to the United States in 1977, to study at the

Boston Conservatory of Music Boston Conservatory at Berklee (formerly The Boston Conservatory) is a private performing arts conservatory in Boston, Massachusetts. It grants undergraduate and graduate degrees in dance, music, and theater. Boston Conservatory was founded o ...

, where she got a bachelor's and a master's degree in guitar. In 1989, she got a doctorate from the

Florida State University Florida State University (FSU or Florida State) is a Public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preeminent university in the s ...

with a thesis on ''24 Caprichos de Goya'' by

Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco (3 April 1895 – 16 March 1968) was an Italian composer, pianist and writer. He was known as one of the foremost guitar composers in the twentieth century with almost one hundred compositions for that instrument. In ...

; in 1994 she was the first musician to record the Castelnuovo-Tedesco's guitar composition. She was also the first woman in the world to get a doctorate in classical guitar. Afshar won the 2000 Orville H. Gibson Award for Best Female Classical Guitarist, as well as three annual "Premier Guitarist" awards by the Memphis Chapter of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences. Afshar was awarded the 2008 Distinguished Teaching Award, the 2000 Eminent Faculty Award, and the 1996 Distinguished Research Award at The

University of Memphis The University of Memphis (Memphis) is a public university, public research university in Memphis, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1912, the university has an enrollment of more than 20,000 students. The university maintains the Herff Col ...

. Afshar was chosen as "Artistic Ambassador" for the United States Information Agency to Africa, and was among twelve guitarists selected to play for

Andrés Segovia Andrés Segovia Torres, 1st Marquis of Salobreña (21 February 1893 – 2 June 1987), was a Spanish virtuoso classical guitarist. Many professional classical guitarists were either students of Segovia or students of Segovia's students. Segovia ...

in his master classes held at the

University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in ...

. About her style, the magazine '' Global Rhythm'' wrote that she combined "the delicate yet powerful sound of the classical guitar with the melodic ornamentation of Persian and Baroque music". While reviewing one concert of her, the ''

Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

'' critic Joan Reinthaler noted that "Afshar has the delicate touch and the keen concentration that characterizes the best guitarists, and she also has the musical sense and restraint that characterizes only a few". Afshar died of cancer in

Tonekabon Tonekabon () is a city in the Central District of Tonekabon County, Mazandaran province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district. Etymology Toneka was a large and fortress-like city with a fence and a hard and stron ...

Mazandaran Mazandaran Province (; ) is one of the 31 provinces of Iran. Its capital is the city of Sari, Iran, Sari. Located along the southern coast of the Caspian Sea and in the adjacent Central Alborz mountain range and Hyrcanian forests, it is border ...

, Iran, on 24 October 2023, at the age of 63.

Discography, books, and DVDs

* ''Caprichos de Goya, Op. 195'' – CD, Summit Records (1994) * ''A Jug of Wine and Thou'' – CD, Summit Records (1999) * ''

Possession Possession may refer to: Law *Dependent territory, an area of land over which another country exercises sovereignty, but which does not have the full right of participation in that country's governance *Drug possession, a crime *Ownership *Pe ...

'' – CD, Archer Records (2002) * ''

Hemispheres Hemisphere may refer to: In geometry * Hemisphere (geometry), a half of a sphere As half of Earth or any spherical astronomical object * A hemispheres of Earth, hemisphere of Earth ** Northern Hemisphere ** Southern Hemisphere ** Eastern Hemisphe ...

'' – CD, Archer Records (2006) * '' Virtuoso Guitar'' – DVD,

Mel Bay Melbourne Earl Bay (February 25, 1913 – May 14, 1997), known professionally as Mel Bay, was an American musician and publisher best known for his series of music education books. His '' Encyclopedia of Guitar Chords'', first published in 197 ...

(2008) * ''One Thousand and One Nights'' – CD, Kargah-e Musiqi (2013) * ''Musica da Camera'' – CD, Archer Records (2013) * ''Bach on Fire''- CD, Archer Records (2014) * ''Classical Guitar Secrets Vol. 1'' – DVD, Guitar Control (2011) * ''Classical Guitar Secrets Vol. 2'' – DVD, Guitar Control (2011) * ''Five Popular Persian Ballads'' – Mel Bay (2000) * ''Essential Bach for Guitar Arranged by Lily Afshar'' – Mel Bay (2012) * ''Classical Guitar Collection Vol. 1'' – DVD, Guitar Control (2016) * ''Classical Guitar Collection Vol. 2'' – DVD, Guitar Control (2016) * ''Scarlatti and Weiss for Guitar'' – arranged for guitar by Lily Afshar, Mel Bay (2016) * ''Spanish Composers for Classical Guitar'' – arranged for guitar by Lily Afshar, Mel Bay (2016) * ''Valses Poeticos by Enrique Granados'' – arranged for guitar by Lily Afshar, Mel Bay (2016)

References

External links

* *
Archer Records biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Afshar, Lily 1960 births 2023 deaths 20th-century American women guitarists 20th-century American guitarists American classical guitarists American people of Azerbaijani descent Boston Conservatory at Berklee alumni Florida State University alumni Iranian classical guitarists Iranian emigrants to the United States Musicians from Tehran University of Memphis faculty Iranian women guitarists Women classical guitarists 21st-century American women guitarists 21st-century American guitarists Summit Records artists Deaths from cancer in Iran

Life and career

Discography, books, and DVDs

Further reading

See also

References

External links