Rouhollah Khaleghi was born in 1906 in a musically minded family.   He  first   became  acquainted  with  the  tar,   but  later started to learn to play the violin.  As soon  as  Alinaqi Vaziri established   his   School of Music,   Khaleghi  left  school   and joined Vaziri's school, where he studied for eight years. Soon he became  his  master's  assistant  and  was  placed in  charge  of teaching music theory. He later  continued  his  education  and obtained   a  B.A.  degree  in Persian  Language  and  Literature from Tehran University.

In 1944  Khaleghi  established  the  National  Music  Society and  in  1949,  thanks  to  the  efforts  of  this   great  artist, the  School of National Music was founded.  After  his  first  journey to the former U.S.S.R. in 1955, he became involved in the  Iran-Soviet Society  and   was    selected   as   a member  of   its  Board  of Directors.

He also began to serve as the director of the Payam-e-Novin Magazine. His work, The History of Persian  Music,  which was  published  in  two  volumes,  took  shape during  these  years.  His other published works include: Harmony  of  Western  Music,  Theory  of  Western  Music,  and  Theory  of Persian Music.

For many  years  Khaleghi  worked  as  a  musical  advisor  for  Radio  Iran  and  was  one  of   the founders of the program known as Golha. He also  conducted the  Golha Orchestra,  for  which  he composed many pieces and  revised  the  original  compositions  of  his contemporaries as well as older masters, such as Aref  and   Sheyda.    Although   revised,   the   compositions   retained   all   their   original  characteristics.

Khaleghi's compositions are not limited to what  he wrote  for   Golha. In addition to  such  masterpieces as  Mey-e-Nab  (Pure Wine), Ah-e  Sahar(Sigh of Dawn),   Hala  Chera (Why  Now?), and Chang-e-Rudaki (Rudaki's Harp), he composed many other lyrical pieces and  hymns,  which  were mostly patriotic.  These include such works as Ey Iran and the Hymn for Azarbaijan.