Born in Tbilisi, Georgia, Agnes Bashir manifested a talent for music at a very early age. At 14, she won First Prize in a twentieth-century music competition.

She obtained a master's degree in Musicology, Composition and Piano from the Russian Academy of Music in 1968. After marrying Iraqi musician Fikri Bashir, she moved to Iraq, where she worked as a concert pianist, composer and music teacher at the Music and Ballet School and the Fine Arts Institute. She was also involved in organizing concerts and special musical events and festivals. She and her husband were among the founders of the Music and Ballet School and the Baghdad Chamber Ensemble, and were involved in the reorganization of the Symphonic Orchestra. Agnes Bashir was awarded First Prize for composition by the Iraqi Ministry of Culture and Information in 1990.

Bashir has been residing in Amman since 1992. She has worked with the National Music Conservatory and participated in the 1994 and 1995 Jerash Festivals, performing her own compositions. In 1996, she participated in the Spring Festival in Paris and the 10th International Congress for Women in Music in Los Angeles. She also participated in the Fuiggi Festival, where she was chosen as Honorary Member of the Adkins-Chitti Foundation.

In 1998, she was awarded the Medal of Recognition from the Italian Prime Minister's Office for Equal Opportunities for Men and Women. In 1999, she obtained the medal of the International Order of Merit (IOM), which became her official title.

In 2000, Agnes Bashir established the Arab Alliance of Women in Music (AAWM). She also attended the 27th International Millenium Congress on Arts and Communications in Washington, DC, where she received an award for her performance and the Medal for Distinguished Participation. During the same year, she participated in the 2nd Festival of Women Creators of the Two Seas (the Mediterranean and the Black Sea), organized by UNESCO.

She is a member of the NACUSA, IAWN (USA), SACEM (France) and the Lebanese Composers' Society.