Born in Tehran, Iran, Shahkar discovered a love of poetry and music at the age of 15. He learned to play the guitar, piano, and drums without formal instruction. He was the youngest student accepted into any doctorate program in Iran and received his doctorate in Human Geography (Urban Planning) with the highest honors. While at university, he began to produce albums of music and collections of poetry, which achieved great success.

Shahkar immigrated to the United States in 2012. The U.S. granted him an Einstein visa, recognizing him as a person of extraordinary ability due to his many accomplishments as an artist and academic. Shahkar has brought his unique, anti-regime view of Iranian culture to the U.S. by continuing to compose music and poetry. He and his 200-piece orchestra have sold out concerts all over the world. Shahkar has collaborated with many renowned artists, including Andrea Bocelli and Ricky Martin.