Yousif Aziz

Yousif Aziz was born in Baghdad in 1974 and obtained a Bachelor's degree (in 1998) and then a Master's degree (in 2001) in Musical Arts and Sciences from Baghdad University/College of Fine Arts/Department of Music.

His music interest started from his childhood, and was influenced by his father, the late musicion Aziz Yousif, who was one of the pioneers of Iraqi music. Yousif Aziz learned to play the saz (Tanbour) from his father, and began playing it at the age of ten.

His obsession with singing also dominated his childhood, he was also drawn to the church. His strongest attraction to music was the great church melodies, and he confirmed that influence by his association with the church for many years and his ecclesiastical work, and even his service as a deacon in the church. He crowned that accomplishment by studying the work of the Hymnist Mar Ephrem the Syriac, in which he received his master's degree with distinction and it was the first master's degree given by the department in postgraduate studies in Iraq for ecclesiastical music.