About Elham Amir Ataei
Elham Amir Ataei is a luthier specializing in the craftsmanship of the Kamancheh. Coming from a family with a rich tradition of instrument making, she began her professional journey in 2016. She completed her Kamancheh-making training at the Iran Music Museum and the Mirza Abdollah School under the guidance of Master Bayaz Amir Ataei. Since then, she has been handcrafting high-quality instruments in her own workshop and was awarded Certificates of Approval from the National Assembly of Instrument Makers in 2019 and 2023. In addition, she became a member of the Instrument Makers Guild of the Iran House of Music in 2021 and earned her Professional Qualification Certificate for Teaching Traditional Arts in Instrument Making in 2023
The tradition of instrument making in my family goes back many years. My cousin, Master Bayaz Amir Ataei, and my cousin, Master Fereydoun Salehi, learned the art of crafting Kamanchehs and violins at the instrument-making workshop of the Cultural Heritage Organization under the guidance of Master Ebrahim Ghanbari Mehr, the father of modern Iranian instrument making. The Cultural Heritage Organization hosted a variety of traditional arts workshops, each dedicated to a different craft, including brocade weaving (Zari), marquetry, woodcarving, and many others. One of these workshops was devoted to instrument making. As a teenager, I had the privilege of visiting these workshops several times, where I observed the creative process of various traditional crafts firsthand. For many years, both of my cousins worked in that instrument-making workshop, dedicating themselves to preserving and advancing this remarkable tradition.
My cousin also had a small instrument-making workshop in his home, and whenever our family visited, I had the opportunity to watch the instrument-making process up close
I was always fascinated by the craftsmanship. The thought that every beautiful, resonant instrument was created by the skilled hands of a single artisan—hands not so different from my own—filled me with wonder. Those moments inspired me to dream of one day building instruments myself
Unfortunately, there is no formal program in instrument making at Iranian conservatories or universities, and the craft is traditionally passed down through apprenticeship. I studied Accounting in high school and later earned a degree in Financial Management at university. I spent many years working in finance and teaching accounting, yet the dream of becoming an instrument maker never left me
Eventually, I realized that I had to pursue this art and dedicate myself to learning and practicing the craft
In 2019 and again in 2023, I participated in the Sazkhaneh Exhibition, organized by the Instrument Makers Guild of the Iran House of Music and held at the Iranian Artists Forum. On both occasions, I was honored to receive the Certificate of Approval from the National Assembly of Instrument Makers
In 2021, I became a member of the Instrument Makers Guild of the Iran House of Music
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