Mehrnam Rastegari presents Chogan

Mehrnam Rastegari presents Chogan—a bold fusion of Persian roots and rock. Experience this genre-defying band live at Drom, July 24.

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 and modern fusion styles. She explores new ways to introduce Persian microtonal music to a wider audience, experimenting with new sounds that connect tradition with contemporary music. Her performances have taken her to international stages, including the Bill Gates Goalkeepers 2024 event, where she played alongside the Grammy award-winning artist Jon Batiste, and some of the most prestigious music festivals worldwide, including GlobalFest, Secret Planet APAP showcase, Ragas Live Festival, Montana Folk Festival, the WOMEX (World Music Expo), Crossing Border Festival, Le Guess Who?, Pitchfork Music Festival, Into The Great Wide Open, Mutations Festival, Feeërieën​​​​​​​, Fajr International Music Festival, the International Competition named after Tlep Aspantaiuly,...

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 (Global Musicians Workshop) alumna, and collaborated with WMI (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." She also recorded a project with "Center for Traditional Music and Dance" (CTMD) in NYC. 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 recording the music track "Mirage" for "Assassin’s Creed."

Passionate about cultural exchange, Mehrnam encourages younger musicians in Iran, Azerbaijan, and Turkey, 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. Rastegari is the founder of "Mehrnam Rastegari Traditional Persian Band" in New York City, where she continues to perform. She has also started a Rock Middle Eastern band named "Chogan", where she brings her originals, also some rearranged folk music, and 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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