When the Music Ends in Exile: Remembering Hooshmand Aghili and Jacqueline Derdarian
The Iranian music world is mourning the loss of Hooshmand Aghili and Jacqueline Derdarian.
The Iranian music world is mourning the loss of two beloved figures who, like many of their peers, spent their final years far from the country they loved. Hooshmand Aghili, the renowned singer and composer of Persian classical and popular songs, and Jacqueline Derdarian, known as Jacqueline, one of the few pioneering women songwriters in Iranian pop music, have both passed away in recent days in the United States. Their deaths are a painful reminder of the fate of many Iranian artists in exile—artists whose bodies of work remained deeply tied to their homeland, but whose dreams of returning were never realized.
Hooshmand Aghili, born on July 25, 1937 in Isfahan, grew up in a family that valued both education and art. After completing his studies in mathematics in high school and English literature at university, he pursued further education in cooperative development in London through a UNESCO scholarship. Although he initially worked for Tehran’s municipality and later the Ministry of Cooperation, music remained his lifelong calling. Encouraged by his father, he studied under some of the greatest masters of Persian vocal traditions, including Taj Esfahani, Mahmoud Karimi, and Esmail Mehrtash. His professional career began in 1955 with the release of “Saqi-nameh”, and his reputation grew quickly, leading him to perform at the inauguration of Iranian National Television alongside celebrated composers.
After emigrating to the United States in 1977, a year before the Iranian Revolution, Aghili continued to perform and record prolifically. His albums—among them Tomorrow You Will Come, Eastern Love, Parandeh-ha-ye Mosafer (“Traveler Birds”), Fal, and Mergh-e Sahar—became staples for listeners both inside and outside Iran. Known for his versatility, he performed both romantic ballads and socially conscious songs such as Homeland, What News from Iran, and Wish for Peace. Though the death of his wife led him to briefly step away from music, he eventually returned, encouraged by his children and admirers. Over the decades, he produced hundreds of songs, many of which became timeless pieces in Persian music.
Aghili passed away in Los Angeles on September 5, 2025, at the age of 88, following a long illness and cardiac arrest. His passing reignited conversations about the fate of Iranian artists who die in exile, their dreams of returning home unfulfilled. Tributes poured in from fans, lyricists, and fellow musicians, underscoring his enduring influence.
Just days later, the Iranian diaspora community mourned the loss of another important cultural figure: Jacqueline Derdarian, who passed away on September 8, 2025, at the age of 72, after years of battling cancer. Born on December 16, 1952 in Tehran, Jacqueline was the elder twin sister of actress Aylin Derdarian and the daughter of Vigen, the iconic “Sultan of Jazz” in Iran. Growing up in a household where art was inseparable from daily life, she pursued music from an early age, becoming one of the few women in Iran’s modern music history to establish herself as a songwriter and composer. At 17, she composed her first song, Parandeh (“The Bird”), which was later performed by Googoosh and became a breakthrough success. Over the years, Jacqueline wrote and composed more than 400 songs, many of which were performed by major Iranian singers including Ebi, Shahram Solati, and Shohreh.
Her compositions reflected both personal emotion and broader social themes. Despite her Armenian Christian background, she wrote spiritual songs inspired by her reverence for Imam Ali and Imam Reza, emphasizing her belief in unity across religious traditions. She often said that she sought to break down barriers between people of different faiths, and her lyrics conveyed a vision of cultural inclusivity. Beyond music, Jacqueline was deeply involved in philanthropy, using her artistic reputation to support charitable causes such as fundraising for the Kahrizak nursing home.
Her death was announced by her younger sister Catherine, who revealed that Jacqueline had recently completed chemotherapy and was optimistic about recovery, but her heart grew too weak to continue. She will be laid to rest near her father Vigen in Los Angeles, symbolically reuniting them in music for eternity.
The nearly simultaneous passing of Hooshmand Aghili and Jacqueline Derdarian marks a profound moment of loss for Persian music. Aghili embodied the bridge between Iran’s classical vocal traditions and modern popular song, while Jacqueline broke barriers for women in the male-dominated world of composition, leaving behind an extensive and influential body of work. Both represent the painful reality of Iranian artists whose legacies blossomed in exile, far from their homeland, yet whose music continues to resonate deeply with generations of Iranians. Their voices and compositions remain timeless testaments to the richness of Persian musical heritage, ensuring that their artistry will endure long after their passing.
Both Aghili and Jacqueline were cherished members of the Iranian-American community, where their work gave voice to a generation living between two worlds. Their lives, like those of many artists in exile, carried a bittersweet truth: while they built new audiences abroad, they longed to perform freely in Iran again. Political realities made that return impossible. Like countless Iranians in the diaspora, they carried with them the unfulfilled wish of going back to their homeland, a longing that accompanied them to their final days.
NIAC extends its deepest condolences to the families, friends and admirers of Hooshmand Aghili and Jacqueline Derdarian, and to the millions of fans around the world who found comfort, pride, and a sense of belonging in their music. Their stories reflect the broader struggle of Iranians abroad, torn between love for their homeland and the barriers that prevent their return. In mourning them, we also honor their contributions to the cultural identity of Iranians everywhere.
Today, Iranians at home and abroad remember two artists whose voices once carried joy, sorrow, and hope across generations. Though they passed away in exile, their music ensures that they will always remain close to the heart of Iran.