April Centrone is a drummer and multi-instrumentalist, specializing in Arabic percussion, drum set and the Arabic oud (Middle Eastern lute). She is co-founder, percussionist and creative director of the NY Arabic Orchestra, nonprofit organization specializing in the performance and education of classical Arabic music and the creation of new contemporary works, led by artistic director and Iraqi/Jordian violinist, Layth Sidiq. She is a Carnegie Hall World Explorer artist, Paul Simon Residency Fellow, and Mid-Atlantic Arts grant recipient. She appeared in festivals such as GlobalFest, Marciac Jazz Festival in France, Beirut Jazz Festival, Festival Do Mundo in Portugal, Silk Road International Conference in Taiwan, NZ World Music Festival and Lincoln Center Out of Doors in New York. April’s recording credits include Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed: Mirage, featuring her on various Arabic percussion and her all-female percussion ensemble. April worked with Ziad Rahbani (son of Fairouz), Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Connect, Marcel Khalife, Secret Chiefs 3 on tours with Primus and John Zorn, Bassam Saba (Alicia Keys, Santana, Sting) and Eyvind Kang (Bill Frisell). She has participated in programming with the United Nations, U.S. and international embassies, NGO’s, cultural centers, refugee centers/safe houses, schools and universities worldwide.

https://aprilcentrone.com/
https://nyarabicorchestra.org/

Mehrnam Rastegari is a well-known Iranian musician, film score composer, activist, singer, violinist, and master Kamancheh player. She has been featured in the most prestigious concerts and music festivals worldwide, including the GlobalFest in NYC, USA, Secret Planet APAP showcase in NYC, USA, Fajr International Music Festival in Tehran, Iran, WOMEX (World Music Expo), which occurred in Tampere, Finland, and other concerts in France, Germany, Switzerland, Kazakhstan. Rastegari is an extraordinary performer on Kamancheh and has been recognized by some of the best Kamancheh performers and instructors globally, who certified her as a Master Kamancheh player. She was featured as a guest speaker in the TEDx event “Oasis: Existence in Nothingness.” Additionally, she composed the score for multiple award-winning films, including “Dispirited” for which she won the award of “Best Original Score” from the Melbourne City Independent Film Awards (MCIFA), and the film “Rotten,” which was nominated for the original score in Japan Kadoma Festival. She was born and raised in Iran in 1991 and in 2022 she moved from Iran to the United States, NYC.