About
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.
Her international stage credits include the Bill Gates Goalkeepers 2024 event with Jon Batiste, WOMEX, GlobalFest, Pitchfork Music Festival, Le Guess Who?, United Nations Headquarters, Into the Great Wide Open, Secret Planet/APAP, Ragas Live Festival, Montana Folk Festival, Crossing Border, Mutations, and many more. She is featured on Jon Batiste’s Grammy-nominated “World Music Radio” album and appears on Livaneli’s album “Rumi Suite.”
Rastegari completed a year-long residency with the Joe’s Pub Working Group (JPWG), and she has composed scores for more than 10 films, earning “Best Original Score” at the Melbourne City Independent Film Awards and nominations at the Kadoma Festival in Japan. She has collaborated with the World Music Institute (WMI) across performances, interviews, and podcasts; was invited as a guest speaker for TEDx “Oasis: Existence in Nothingness”; recorded for the Center for Traditional Music and Dance (CTMD); and contributed violin to the soundtrack of Assassin’s Creed.
She is also a selected instructor for Carnegie Hall’s Musical Explorers program, reflecting her commitment to cultural exchange and music education. Mehrnam mentors young musicians across Iran, Azerbaijan, Turkey, and the United States, helping them navigate tradition, innovation, and the possibilities within microtonal and contemporary music.
In 2025, she released Dislocated Pulse, her full-length psych rock / Middle Eastern album built around electrified Kamancheh, heavy grooves, and restless, shifting microtonal motifs.
She leads three projects in New York City: the Mehrnam Rastegari Traditional Persian Band; Senavazi, a Balkan–Persian trio; and Chogan, her Middle Eastern psych-rock outfit known for its high-energy shows and original sound. Recognized by leading Kamancheh masters internationally, she is also a GMW (Global Musicians Workshop) alumna, a member of the New York Arabic Orchestra, and a mentor to young musicians across Iran, Azerbaijan, and Turkey.
Through her performances and compositions, Rastegari continues to show how Persian musical heritage can speak in unexpected ways—alive, rhythmic, and full of possibility.
Mehrnam Rastegari was born in 1991 in Iran. She began her musical training at eleven, first on the Tombak before the sound of a violin class pulled her into melody. She studied violin and soon added Kamancheh, captivated by its expressive depth and its central role in Iranian music. By her teens she was performing regularly, connecting with musicians across different traditions and discovering the instrument that would define her artistic path. Within six months of committing to Kamancheh, she made her official debut, which led to steady ensemble work and a growing presence on stage. Composition followed early, as she started shaping music rooted in Persian microtonality while reaching toward contemporary forms that matched her creative drive.
MCIFA (Melbourne city independent film awards), The best original score for the short film "DISPIRITED"
Nominated for the original score of the film "ROTTEN" in Japan Kadoma festival
WMI 40th anniversary 2025 (NYC)
Asia Society Game Changer Gala 2025 (NYC)
Bill Gates Goal Keepers with Jon Batiste 2024 (NYC)
Le Guess who? 2024 (Utrecht, NL)
Pitchfork Music Festival 2024 (London, UK)
Into The Great Wide Open 2024 (Vlieland, NL)
Crossing Border Festival 2024 (The Hague, NL)
Crossing Border Festival 2024 (Antwerp, BE)
Mutations Festival 2024 (Brighton, UK)
GlobalFest 2023 (NYC)
Secret Planet APAP Showcase 2023 (NYC)
Ragas Live Festival 2023, 2024 (NYC)
Indian Summer Festival 2024 (Vancouver, BC)
New York to Middle East APAP Showcase 2024 (NYC)
Feeërieën 2024 (Brussles, BE)
U.N Headquarters with NYAO 2023 (NYC)
Barbes since 2022 (NYC)
Let Her Sing 2022 (U.S., SF)
Drom 2024 (NYC)
Bar Lunatico 2024 (NYC)
Yalda Night at TheTrops 2022, 2023 (NYC)
Nublu Classic TheTrops (NYC)
Womex 2019 Finland
Concerts in Germany, Switzerland, and France 2019 with Khonyagaran orchestra
Fajr music festival "Tehran and Abadan" 2019
Performance and talk in the first Tedxiums "Tedx of Iran University of Medical Sciences"
The Other Side Of The Mirror Theater (2022)
Concert with Zhaw ensemble "Tehran and Kish Island" 2019
Participated in the International Competition "Tlep Aspantaiuly" Kobyz Palace, Kazakhstan 2018
Performance in "Love letters from the Middle East" theatre 2017
Participated in "1695 project" modern music festival, Shiraz
Concert with "Moje no" orchestra Composed by Ali Ghamsari, Vocal by Mohammad Motamedi
Concert with Mehras ensemble
Concert with Naghshava ensemble
Concert with Ghogha ensemble
Concert with Azar ensemble
Concert with Paykoob band
The way, Wing, Egyptian, Wave, Water bubbles, Purity
The short film "AND JUST TWO MORE"
The short film "ZUGZWANG"
The short film "ROTTEN"
The short film "DISPIRITED"
The short film "A POETESS"
The short film "ABYSSAL"
The Theater "MARBAZI"
The short film "MASSAGE ROOM"
The short film "THE DOUBLE LIFE OF MUSA"
The featured film "OVERPASS"
Biography
Performances
Published tracks
Film scores and theaters
Awards
