Mehrnam Rastegari (IRAN/USA)
www.mehrnamrastegari.com
Mehrnam Rastegari is a prominent Persian musician, award-winning film score composer, singer, violinist, and master Kamancheh player, who brings Persian music in new directions by combining it with rock, jazz and modern fusion styles. Based in New York City, Mehrnam serves as a cultural ambassador and explores new ways to introduce Persian microtonal music to a wider audience, experimenting with new sounds that connect tradition with contemporary music. Founder of "Mehrnam Rastegari Traditional Persian Band" and a the Middle Eastern rock band named "Chogan", where she brings her originals and rearranged folk music together with drums, and bass. Her performances have taken her to international stages, including the Bill Gates Goalkeepers 2024 event, where she played a special duo with pianist Jon Batiste.
UPCOMING SHOWS
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Rastegari has also played and some of the most prestigious music festivals worldwide, including GlobalFest NY, Secret Planet, Ragas Live Festival, Pitchfork Music Festival Paris, Montana Folk Festival, WOMEX (World Music Expo), Crossing Border Festival, Le Guess Who?, Into The Great Wide Open, Mutations Festival, Feeërieën, Fajr International Music Festival,and many more.
Rastegari is an extraordinary Kamancheh performer, acclaimed a “Master of the Kamancheh” by some of the finest international artists and instructors of the instrument. She is a Global Musicians Workshop alumna, and has collaborated with Center for Traditional Music and Dance in NYC and World Music Institute in NYC on multiple projects, including music performances, WMI Plus interviews, and podcasts and was a featured guest speaker at TEDx.
Composer for over 10 feature films, theaters, and award-winning short films. Notably, "Dispirited" earned her the "Best Original Score" award from the Melbourne City Independent Film Awards, and nomination for the original score in the Japan Kadoma Festival for the film "Rotten." "A Poetess" also secured the "Best Persian Film" award at World Music Independent Film Festival USA. Rastegari is a valued member of the New York Arabic Orchestra and has had the privilege of performing at the United Nations. She also contributed as a violin player and recording for video game music such as "Assassin’s Creed."
A selected instructor for Carnegie Hall’s Musical Explorers series, Mehrnam is very passionate about cultural exchange and serves as a mentor to many and encourages younger musicians in Iran, Azerbaijan, Turkey, and USA by helping them navigate both tradition and innovation in their own music. Through her performances, compositions, and film scores, Mehrnam continues to shape the future of Persian music, showing that heritage and experimentation can coexist in powerful ways. Her art reflects her interest in the juxtaposition of cultures.