Born in 1986 in Fulda, Askari took first Steps in music on the piano at the age of five and switched to electric bass guitar at the age of eleven, starting in regional Punk and Jazz Bands. After graduating from school Askari began his studies in electric bass with Marius Goldhammer in 2006 at Hochschule für Musik und Tanz in Cologne before switching to upright bass studying with Dieter Manderscheid and Sebastian Gramss.

From 2012 until 2014 he studied master of improvising arts at Folkwang Universität der Künsteste in Essen with Robert Landfermann. Askari finished all of his studies „summa cum laude“. He was member of the Youth Jazz Orchestra of the Federal State of Hessen from 2004 to 20109 and member of the German Youth Jazz Orchestra (BuJazzO) from 2009 until 2011.From 2009 to 2010 Askari also joined Peter Herbolzheimers European Masterclass Big Band, led by Peter Herbolzheimer and John Ruocco.

 

Askari has worked with mit artists such as Marc Ducret, Lee Konitz, Benny Golson, Hayden Chisholm, Jeff Hamilton, Barre Phillips, Mark Dresser, Peter Herbolzheimer, Mike Herting, Philipe Catherine, Ramesh Shotham, Frank Haunschild, Thomas Rückert, Frank Gratkowski, Heiner Wiberny, Gerd Dudek, John Hollenbeck, Jiggs Whigham, Gary Versace, Max Herre, Clueso und Sophie Hunger and travelled to countries like China, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia, India, Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, USA, Kanada, Colombia, Panama and many European countries with different formations.

 

Askari currently has released three albums as a bandleader with his ensemble „ROAR“ consisting of Stefan Karl Schmid, Fabian Arends and Askari in 2017 and 2020 as a trio and and as a quartet with vibraphonist Christopher Dell in 2022.

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Since October 2023 Reza Askari is a professor in Jazz-Bass at Hochschule für Musik Würzburg.