Ahmad Sarmast: “Our Biggest Challenge is Security and Safety”

Ahmad Sarmast discusses the Afghanistan National Institute of Music’s commitment to gender equality, democracy, and intercultural dialogue on a global scale.

Ahmad Naser Sarmast is the founder and director of the Afghanistan National Institute of Music (ANIM). He is a member of the Musicological Society of Australia and the Union of Artists’ Association of Afghanistan, and an honorary fellow of the National College of Music, London. He has conducted research on the music of Afghanistan since 1993 and published the landmark book, A Survey of the History of Music in Afghanistan. His research interests also include music of northern India, central Asia, and Iran. His paper, “Music in Afghanistan Today,” provided the framework for the Revival of Afghan Music project and became the basis for ANIM. Sarmast received a PhD in music from Monash University, Melbourne, and an MA in musicology and ethnomusicology and a BA in performance and music education from the Moscow State Conservatorium. He is a recipient of the Honorary Membership Award of the Royal Philharmonic Society of the United Kingdom and the Education Award from the government of Afghanistan. A native of Afghanistan, Sarmast is the son of the late Afghan composer, conductor, and musician, Ustad Salim Sarmast.