Harmony of Cultures: A Global Music Odyssey

A violinist, composer, and performance artist born in South Korea, Sita Chay is a 2017 Latin Grammy Award winner with the Mariachi group Flor de Toloache. She has received numerous accolades, including from the New York Foundation for the Arts and New Music USA, and has participated in residencies at notable venues like Joe’s Pub. Her interdisciplinary series "Multidimensionally Human" explores psychotherapy through various art forms, collaborating with neuroscientist Dr. Nikolai Chapochnikov. In 2023, she released "Ritual of Le Sac," a music narrative film inspired by her experiences of pregnancy. Chay is also the founder of SaaWee, a Korean Shaman Music Ritual ensemble, blending theatricality with Korean folk spirituality and contemporary jazz, acclaimed internationally and recognized at the California Music Video Awards 2022 for Best World Music. 

Jay Gandhi is a distinguished artist trained by the legendary bansuri maestro Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia, with a rich palette of influences from the Indian subcontinent and beyond. A key figure in the Brooklyn Raga Massive, Jay's background in Hindustani classical music is complemented by his affinity for the musical traditions of the African diaspora, notably American Jazz, honed during his time at Oberlin College. His collaborations span a wide range of genres and cultures, performing alongside notables such as Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia and Reggie Workman, and contributing to albums like Alam Khan’s Grand Tapestry and the Brooklyn Raga Massive's In D. His upcoming work includes the Hollywood film Prisoners of Paradise. 

A Grammy Award-winning drummer, percussionist, and arranger from Mito, Japan, Satoshi Takeishi is renowned for his versatility across multiple musical genres. He studied music at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. Whether behind a drum set, a hybrid percussion set, or computer-based electronics, Japanese-born musician/ improviser Takeishi strives to “connect contrasting elements beyond genre in quest of the essence” in his performances. After attending Berklee College of Music, he lived in Colombia, South America, and Miami, Florida, before arriving in New York City in 1991. He has performed and recorded in a vast variety of genres, displaying styles such as jazz, rock, contemporary classical, avant-garde, experimental electronic, and world music. Takeishi continues to move among a wide range of musical environments and constantly strives to integrate his diverse musical experience and knowledge. 

A multi-instrumentalist, composer, and educator born on a leap day in Bogotá, Colombia, Martín Vejarano has dedicated his career to traditional Colombian music, particularly Gaita/Cumbia. His innovative work includes developing the 'Colombian Drum Set' since his early years at INCCA University. Vejarano, who has studied Jazz Percussion and Music Theory in New York, is a respected educator at Flushing Town Hall and collaborates with the Center For Traditional Music And Dance. Based in New York City since 1999, he leads several music projects including La Cumbiamba eNeYé and Cumbia River Band, with new albums forthcoming.   

Suhail Yusuf is a PhD candidate at Wesleyan University and a visiting assistant professor of music history at The Hartt School. He brings together expertise from a performance career that has extended over 20 years, a creative ability, and academic research to find new modes of expression in Hindustānī (North Indian classical) music. His doctoral dissertation, “Bridge Overtones: Lessons from the Sarangi” is the first in-depth ethnomusicological study of the North Indian bowed instrument tradition by a hereditary sarangi player. He has been featured on more than 15 albums and signed to Domino Records, U.K.