Our Teachers

Farsi Instructors

Ms. Mehrbanou Toumari

Ms. Toomari is the founder and principal, as well as one of the teaching staff, of the Dehkhoda Persian School. As a certified teacher in the Iranian educational system, Ms. Toomari acquired twenty years of classroom teaching experience in the Iranian school system before immigrating to the US in 1990.

Ms. Toomari started her US career as a teacher in Maktab Dehkhoda, an earlier Persian language school run by the late Ms. Mazaheri.

In 1994, Ms. Toomari assumed school management responsibilities and the institute’s name changed to Dehkhoda Persian School. The school has been serving the Persian speaking community in northern California ever since.

Ms. Janet Aslani

Ms. Aslani brings 22 years of teaching experience in the Iranian educational system to the Dehkhoda Persian classroom.

Ms. Azam Javid (Mostafavi)

Ms. Javid brings 22 years of experience in the Iranian educational system to Dehkhoda. Prior teaching posts include Tehran’s well-regarded high schools Hadaf, Azarm, and Attar.

Ms. Javid received her BA degree in political science from Tehran University. Ms. Javid has taught Persian language classes at Dehkhoda since 2002.

Mathematics Instructor

Ms. Mahtab Bidokhti

Ms. Bidokhti earned her BA degree from Tehran University. San Jose’s Oak Grove School District (K-8) currently employs her as a certified substitute. Ms. Bidokhti holds a Vision Award from the District.

With twenty years of experience teaching math and reading, she tutors in the evenings and on weekends.

Music Instructors

Ms. Shiva Samimi

Ms. Samimi started playing piano at the age of eight. Upon completion of her musical training under the tutelage of well-known musicians, she began teaching piano lessons at age 19. After receiving her MA degree in architecture, Ms. Samimi was among the few students admitted to the MA program in music at the Tehran University School of Fine Arts.

Upon immigration to the US in 2004, Ms. Samimi began teaching piano lessons at Recreation Plus, PCC, and East West Music and Dance institutes.

Piano classes at the beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels are held:
Weekdays M-T-W-F: 3:30 p.m.-8:00 p.m. (no Thursday classes) Saturday: 8:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Sunday: 3:30 p.m.-8:00 p.m.

Mr. Shahin Gorgani

Shahin Gorgani, was born in the Bay Area in 1988 and raised in Iran.  At the age of 15, along with his sister Nasim, he started taking Daf lessons from V.  Massahzadeh, and later, Tombak lessons from M.  Banaei.  Shahin also studied with H. Rezaei-nia, a Daf virtuoso who helped him develop a deep connection with the magnificent music of his homeland.

Shahin returned to U.S. in 2008 where he continued his Tombak studies with Shahab Paranj of the Shams Ensemble and also started collaborating with Meehan Ensemble.  Shahin toured with the famed Shams Ensemble in 2009.  He feels deeply grateful to all his teachers for giving him the inspiration and for showing him the path for excellence.

Mr. Ramin Amjadi

At age 13, Mr. Amjadi commenced his musical education with the tonbak, a Persian drum. Within ten years, he had completed all of the radeefs under the tutelage of various renowned masters and launched his musical career. Along the way, he learned piano and organ. In addition to tonbak lessons, Mr. Amjadi teaches voice as well as providing instruction in other Persian instruments including ney, santour, daf, tar, and setar. As a performing musician, Mr. Amjadi has played in concert tours throughout Iran and Europe.

Since immigration to the United States in 1999, Mr. Amjadi has instructed Iranian students. He loves his work and says, “I have a passion to transfer my knowledge to others.”

Mr. Hamed Nikpay

At age seven, Mr. Nikpay started his musical education playing the tar and setar, Persian string instruments. By the age of twenty, his expertise included the tanbur, oud, and daf.

After earning a BA degree in music composition, he began writing his own music and performing in concert with some of the most acclaimed music ensembles in the US, Europe, Asia, and Iran. As an instrumentalist, his solos are featured in a number of Iranian movies. Possessed of a beautiful voice, Hamed is renowned as one of the finest Persian vocalists outside Iran.

Mr. Felix Amirian

Guitarist, Pianist, Composer and Producer in the World-Smooth Jazz genre.

Beside the success that Felix has achived as an extraordinary musician, his commitment as a teacher and mentor to aspiring young musicians continues in the bay area.

Mr. Emad Bonakdar

Song writer, multi-instrumentalist and performer, Emad learned guitar at a very young age. Initially trained in jazz and pop, it took twenty years and much soul-searching before he found a home in flamenco, a style that touched his heart.
Flamenco allowed expression of deep emotion and passion in a way that no other music could. Emad’s love for traditional Persian music, coupled with the expressive and soulful flamenco, created a musical style that is uniquely his. Inspired by the ancient Persian empire’s broad cultural influences, in 1999 he produced ARG, his first album. In collaboration with the Iranian movie industry Emad composed the musical score for the movie Mom’s Guest directed by Daryoush Mehrjooee. A creative song writer, he has performed in concerts inside Iran.