Seyyed Mohammad Mousavi founded the Mahoor Institute of Culture and Arts in 1987 to contribute to the development and dissemination of Iranian music and musicology. Based in Tehran, Mahoor publishes scholarly books and curriculum materials as well as the highly regarded Mahoor Quarterly. Over the past 35 years, the Institute has produced more than 600 recordings of music from Iran and neighbouring countries that include important historical recordings of Persian classical music, regional folk music, and new initiatives by young musicians, including female vocalists.

Mohammad Mousavi has provided the guiding vision of Mahoor since its beginning, deftly navigating the currents of shifting state policies in Iran concerning music and musical performance. Mahoor has been lauded by the international scholarly community for the high quality and rigorous standards of its publications at the same time that it strives to reach a wide and diverse audience within Iran. A particular focus of its CD releases has been the documentation of musical tradition-bearers from regional and minority communities in Iran whose music is endangered.