"Reza Lotfi-Larijani رضا لطفی لاریجانی" was a multifaceted individual—an author, journalist, lawyer, and master of the Persian tar and the "radif ردیف" repertoire in Persian art music. Born in Najaf, Iraq, in 1909, his father, "Abdolali Lotfi-Larijani عبدالعلی لطفی لاریجانی", was studying Islamic theology (religious jurisprudence) there at the time. Abdolali Lotfi-Larijani (23 January 1880 - 15 September 1956) was a notable Iranian politician and judge, serving as the Minister of Justice in the second cabinet of Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh and as the Chief of the General Inspection Office.

After moving to Tehran, Reza developed a keen interest in the Persian "tar تار". Due to certain restrictions, he practiced in secret, unbeknownst to his father. One day, the sound of the tar emanating from the basement caught his father's attention. Realizing that his son was playing the instrument, he decided it would be best for Reza to learn from a master.

Encouraged by his father's friend, the famous Persian painter Kamal-ol-Molk  (1848 - 1940), Reza's father introduced him to the renowned master of music, Darvish Khan (1872 - 1926). After a few lessons, "Darvish Khan درویش خان" recognized Reza's exceptional musical intelligence. Although Darvish Khan was a great musician himself, he encouraged Reza to enroll in the classes of his student, Musa Ma'rufi (1889 - 1965), who was familiar with Western music notations. Reza later remarked that "learning music notations allowed him to independently master the rest of the radif, using the pieces that "Musa Ma'rufi موسی معروفی" had collected and notated."

Reza was deeply impressed by the performance style of Agha Mirza Hossein Gholi Farahani (1853 - 1916) on the Persian tar, which he had listened to on gramophone records. Since "Mirza Hossein Gholi میرزا حسینقلی", who was also Darvish Khan's teacher, had already passed away, Reza sought out his eldest son, Maestro Ali Akbar Shahnazi (1897 - 1985). Maestro "Ali Akbar Shahnazi علی اکبر شهنازی" was the only musician who had memorized all of his father's radif pieces. Reza requested that Ostad Shahnazi teach him the radif so that he could notate the melodies. This marked the beginning of their collaboration, which lasted seven years, followed by another three years of comparing the melodies with the accuracy of the notations. Ostad Shahnazi eventually confirmed the accuracy of the written notations and provided a certificate allowing Reza to publish this remarkable work, though it was never published. It is noteworthy that Ostad Shahnazi recorded his father's radif, and "Reza Vohdani" (1933 - 2003) [in Persian رضا وُهدانی], another student of Shahnazi, notated Mirza Hossein Gholi's radif and published it in Tehran. Additionally, Farhad Arzhangi (1939 - 1961) [in Persian فرهاد ارژنگی], also a student of Shahnazi, notated Mirza Hossein Gholi's radif, which was published five decades after his passing.

In addition to his musical pursuits, which included extensive research on ancient Persian music, Reza completed his primary education at the "Adab ادب" school and his secondary education at the "Dar al-Funun دارالفنون" school. Established in 1851 by "Amir Kabir امیرکبیر", the prime minister of "Naser al-Din Shah ناصرالدین شاه", Dar al-Funun was one of the first modern institutions of higher education in Iran and played a crucial role in modernizing the country's education system. He also delved into the study of ancient exact sciences and jurisprudence. Later, he moved to France to continue his studies at the University of Paris, where he obtained his license in law.

After September 1941, a significant period when Allied forces invaded Iran during World War II, Reza managed to publish only four issues of the newspaper "Kabutar کبوتر" before it was banned by the government due to its harshly critical articles about the Allies.

Maestro Reza Lotfi-Larijani passed away in September 2003, in Shemiran, Tehran.

This biography of Ostad Reza Lotfi-Larijani is based on a personal interview conducted by Parham.