Ostad Mahmoud Zoufonoun was a distinguished Persian musician born on 1 January 1920 in Iran. His musical journey began as a child, secretly listening to his father, Habib Zoufonoun, play the tar, a traditional Persian instrument. At the age of eight, Mahmoud began his formal lessons on the tar, and by twelve, he was already teaching others. His enthusiasm for music did not stop there; he also developed an interest in the violin, even crafting his own instrument when one was not available.

In the 1930s, Zoufonoun moved to Shiraz to study music further. He later moved to Tehran at the age of sixteen to learn from notable teachers. By the early 1940s, he was performing on Radio Iran and was a key figure in the formation of the Anjomane Mooseeghee Melli, where he collaborated with other musicians. After emigrating to the United States in 1976, he continued to teach and perform, passing on his knowledge and love of Persian music to his family and students until he passed away on 19 October 2013.