The Zoufonoun Ensemble is a notable Persian classical music group consisting of Mahmoud Zoufonoun

Mahmoud Zoufonoun

Ostad Mahmoud Zoufonoun is an accomplished musician in the art of Persian traditional music.-Life and career:...

 (violin) and his four sons Amir Zoufonoun (vocals, setar

Setar

SETAR N.V., is the privatised full telecommunications service provider for the island of Aruba. The services provided by SETAR include: telephone, internet and GSM-related wireless services. SETAR also owns Tele Aruba....

), Ramin Zoufonoun (tar

Tar

Tar is modified pitch produced primarily from the wood and roots of pine by destructive distillation under pyrolysis. Production and trade in tar was a major contributor in the economies of Northern Europe and Colonial America. Its main use was in preserving wooden vessels against rot. The largest...

, Persian-tuned piano), Amin Zoufonoun (setar), and Omid Zoufonoun (cello). A variety of percussionists have performed with the group, including Shahram Kazemi, Houman Pourmehdi, and Siamak Pouyan.

The group performs large-scale suites composed by Mahmoud Zoufonoun while presenting vocal and instrumental improvisations by each member. Notable among these compositions is Naghde Sufi (suite in the mode of Rastpanjgah), and Fash Migooyam (suite in the mode of Chahargah). In recent years, through the addition of cello, Omid Zoufonoun has expanded the compositions to include elements of Western counterpoint and harmony.

Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, the Zoufonoun Ensemble has performed throughout the United States, including such venues as the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Herbst Theater, and the Palace of Fine Arts.