Mehrnam Rastegari is a prominent Persian musician, film score composer, singer, violinist, and master Kamancheh player. She has been featured in some of the most prestigious music festivals worldwide, including GlobalFest in NYC, USA, Secret Planet in NYC, USA, Fajr International Music Festival in Tehran, Iran, the WOMEX (World Music Expo) in Tampere, Finland, Ragas Live Festival in NYC, USA, the International Competition named after Tlep Aspantaiuly in Astana, Kazakhstan, and numerous concerts across The United States, Germany, Switzerland, France, Iran, and more.

Rastegari is an extraordinary Kamancheh performer, acclaimed by some of the finest Kamancheh artists and instructors globally, who have certified her as a Master Kamancheh player. She is a GMW alumna and a recording artist for the "World Music Institute," contributing to their multiple projects, including music performances, WMI Plus interviews, and podcasts. She was a featured guest speaker at the TEDx event "Oasis: Existence in Nothingness."

Furthermore, she has composed 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 (MCIFA), and she received a nomination for the original score in the Japan Kadoma Festival for the film "Rotten." "A Poetess" also secured the "Best Persian Film" award at WMIFF, USA. Rastegari is a valued member of the NYAO (New York Arabic Orchestra) and has had the privilege of performing at the United Nations Headquarters. She also contributed as a violin player to the recording of the music track "Mirage" for "Assassin’s Creed."

Rastegari is the founder of "Mehrnam Rastegari Traditional Persian Band" in New York City, where she continues to perform. She has also invited a trio to collaborate, creating and performing rock/fusion/Middle Eastern music, which has garnered success. ​​​​​​​She was born in 1991 in Iran. Her first stint with music was at the age of 11 when she was trying to play different rhythms on a traditional Iranian percussion called Tombak. Her family encouraged her to learn Tombak professionally. She discovered a magical sound flowing from the Violin class in the music institute. well! She was mesmerized by it, so she decided to learn Violin, she also played Kamanche, a kind of Iranian fiddle, for several years. She practiced very hard and enjoyed every moment of playing it. In her teens, during some musical events and performances, she got in touch with other Iranian musical instruments and music maestros. The similarities between the Iranian Violin and the Kamancheh made her choose the Kamancheh as her main musical instrument. She learned from the best Kamancheh masters such as Imamyar Hasanov, and Ardeshir Kamkar to name a few. After learning for six months she had her first official concert as a Kamancheh player with an ensemble. The success of the concert made her very popular and gave her many opportunities to perform in different ensembles. After almost a year she felt like composing her music. She experimented and improvised in various styles. Eventually, she found herself in fusion and world music.

Her art reflects her interest in the juxtaposition of cultures. She believes that in current times the most valuable arts are those which most people with different languages can feel connected.

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Photo Credit: Studiobirdhaus