TEHRAN — Shir Muhammad Espandar, one of Iran’s most celebrated regional musicians and a master of the traditional donali double-flute, has died at the age of 98, Iranian officials said.
Espandar, regarded as a living symbol of the musical heritage of Sistan and Baluchestan, died on July 22 after decades spent preserving and performing the traditional music of the region. His work helped introduce Balochi musical traditions to audiences across Iran and abroad. 
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian expressed condolences over Espandar’s death, describing him as a lasting figure in Iran’s regional music and one of the foremost guardians of the cultural and artistic heritage of Baloch communities. 
Pezeshkian said Espandar devoted his life to preserving, reviving and introducing Iran’s authentic music, and that his distinctive artistry helped take the sound of the donali beyond the borders of Balochi culture and turn it into part of Iran’s national cultural heritage. 
Iran’s Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Seyyed Reza Salehi-Amiri also mourned Espandar’s death, calling it the loss of one of the country’s most important living repositories of intangible cultural heritage. 
Salehi-Amiri said Espandar had carried the voice of the culture, identity and historical experience of the people of Sistan and Baluchestan to Iran and the wider world through his music.
The minister described Espandar as a guardian of Iran’s intangible heritage, saying his performances reflected the traditions, rituals and collective memory of a region whose cultural expressions have been passed down through generations.

Espandar’s mastery of the donali — a traditional instrument consisting of two flutes played simultaneously — made him one of the most recognized figures in Balochi music. Through decades of performances, he helped preserve a musical tradition rooted in the history and identity of southeastern Iran.
Officials and cultural organizations have described Espandar’s legacy as extending beyond music, portraying him as a cultural figure whose work contributed to safeguarding one of Iran’s diverse regional traditions.