Biography

Assurhadoun Khofri was born December 14, 1937 in Kermanshah, Iran, to parents of Assyrian Decent. His father, Gabriel Khofri was a Catholic Deacon and a talented Blacksmith. He was culturally proud and upon obtaining his first commercial contract in Baghdad he engraved the words, “I am Assyrian,” on all commercial tire rims that were ordered for transportation. 
Gabriel Khofri married Victoria Vardeh in 1922 and together they raised a multi-talented family of musicians, poets, painters and artisans. Assurhadouns eldest brother was the famous Assyrian Folkloric Composer, Paulus Khofri. Assurhadoun was musically inclined as a child and attended The Roman Catholic Silician School- Don Bosco Preparatory College where he graduated in 1960. He was classically trained and developed his love of the accordion, by his mentor and Parochial Administrator of the college, Fr. Armando Vittore. While at the conservatory he specialized in Brass, Woodwind and Percussion Instruments.
After College Assurhadoun began working for The American Embassy in Iran as a Procurement Supervisor. During this time, he also produced musical concerts with fellow artist Vania David, simultaneously conducting choral performances with his brother Paulus Khofri. 
In 1966 Assurhadoun went on to marry his love Marlin Yadegar and they had two daughters named Dorida and Victoria.
Both Dorida and Victoria followed in their father's artistic footsteps, with Dorida becoming a Master Florist and Victoria getting her degress in both Fashion Design and Commercial Interior Design. Inspired by his educational background with the Salesians, the decision to bridge the discipline of child development with music was an organic one.

Assurhadoun was recruited by the esteemed Musical Director Dr. Said Khadiri to lead one of nine Child Development Music Workshops in Iran, under the leadership of Reza Ghotbi, who headed The National Iranian Radio and Television, during Pahlavi Dynasty. In 1974, as Director of the Music Workshop in the district of West Azerbaijan, Uremia, The Queen of Iran (Farrah Pahlavi) awarded Assurhadoun the honor of being at the helm of the best educational music workshop in the country. Under Assurhadoun’s supervision his workshop consisted of 150 students and 9 teachers. His responsibilities included research, music education, and production. The programs he produced were broadcast throughout the nation.

In 1978 Assurhadoun immigrated to the United States from Iran. He settled in Marin County with job prospects at The Department of Justice and the Naval Shipyards in San Francisco. Ultimately, he began working alongside his brother Sankiro Khofri at the Naval Shipyards in San Francisco, Alameda, and Treasure Island. Vetted and granted government clearance, his responsibilities gave him great purpose working on aircraft carriers including the USS Missouri and the USS Nimitz. He was greatly respected amongst his peers and was soon elected to Shop Steward (Union Representative) where he facilitated communications between employees and management. Music continued to be a lifeline to Assurhadouns spirit, it was always on his mind and deep rooted in his heart. He began collaborating with, a then young, Assyrian Vocalist named Walter Aziz on his first American LP entitled “Milat Atoureta” writing the song Arbaello for him. It was at this time that Assurhadoun also became a valued instrumentalist at The Marin County Ensemble, where he played the trumpet in the band and orchestra.

He relocated his family to the Central Valley in the early 1980’s while still commuting to San Francisco during the week for work. Weekends were often spent around the piano with his beloved mentor and dear friend Rabi William Daniel. It was during these times where Assurhadoun wrote and composed many beautiful traditional melodies that would become vital markers for his legacy. He also continued working with local Assyrian Artists, writing and producing an album for singer Edward Hormozi.
Assurhadoun believed that continuous professional development, application, and adaptability were vital to staying relevant in music. He began researching and writing a series of educational books on Harmony, Rhythm and Percussion Instruments- specifically Primitive Instruments and their relationship to traditional Assyrian Music. He also embarked on a journey to write a Four Volume Children’s Music Book along with melodies and poetry. Starting with toddlers through adolescence, the songs were specific to the understanding of a child's mindset, focusing on their respective age group.

The Khofri family had generational ties to the Catholic Church and his father instilled in him a deep sense of love for Christ and service to his church. Upon his retirement Assurhadoun created and directed many choirs within the Assyrian Church Communities. He was profoundly inspired by the Holy Spirit composing Liturgical Music.  His intent in composing and arranging hymns, requiems, and psalmody's was to help link the gap between traditional religious ceremonies and modern-day convention for younger generations. Since the discipline of music education had always been his forte, he continued mentoring music students like Dr. Sinella Aghassi towards achieving her Ph.D. in Music as well as teaching music to a whole new generation of private music students from all ages.

In 2008 Assurhadoun conducted and led a group of notable Assyrian Artists in a concert at The Gallo Center for The Performing Arts that included Ashur Bet Sargis, Walter Aziz, Tiglat Issabey, David Bet Samo and Robert Noghli. The concert was held by The Assyrian Aid Society of America to help benefit Assyrians living in Bet-Nahrin. His profound love for music and his fellow Assyrian Musicians was made even more prevalent when he transcribed into musical notes the melodies of his highly revered friend,

Sooren Alexander in the book “A Collection of Assyrian Folk Music for Accordion.”
Assurhadoun Khofri was a gentle soul with a gracious spirit and a deep love for music, children, family and his faith. He enjoyed all aspects of creativity, and his hobbies included reading, walking/hiking, bike riding, gardening, continuous education, pets and traveling. He was virtuous and grounded in a strong moral and spiritual foundation and dedicated to helping others, especially the less fortunate. He was a truthful, compassionate, and revered individual with notable accomplishments throughout his life. Regrettably Assurhadoun Khofri came to his untimely death in January 2018. His legacy will always live through his family, friends, co-workers, and most importantly his Music.

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