Mehrnam Rastegari

NYC-based Persian musician Mehrnam Rastegari is a master Kamancheh player, singer, violinist, and award-winning composer whose sound pushes Persian music into bold, modern directions. Her work threads Persian microtonal tradition through rock, psych, and contemporary styles, creating performances that feel deeply expressive. Mehrnam Rastegari has performed internationally at major events and festivals including the Bill Gates Goalkeepers event with Jon Batiste, WOMEX, GlobalFEST, Pitchfork Music Festival, Le Guess Who?, and the United Nations Headquarters. She is featured on Jon Batiste’s Grammy-nominated World Music Radio album and Livaneli’s Rumi Suite. She has composed award-winning film scores, completed a Joe’s Pub Working Group residency, collaborated with the World Music Institute, and serves as an instructor for Carnegie Hall’s Musical Explorers program. Mehrnam leads several projects and live ensembles including: The Mehrnam Rastegari Traditional Persian Band featuring some of the finest traditional Persian musicians based in the USA as her accompaniment. Her Middle Eastern psych-rock outfit, known for its high-energy shows and original sound. Senavazi, a Balkan–Persian trio performing arrangements of pieces from Persian, Kurdish, Balkan Turkish musical traditions. Featuring Kamancheh, clarinet, ney, saxophone, davul, and traditional percussion. The classical Indian and Persian female trio, combining Indian Raga and Iranian Dastgah.