Jim Lommasson

Viola, Sarajevo, Yugoslavia

Dijana Ihas: This is the photo of my viola that my parents bought for me when I was 14 years young. I carried this instrument first, for 7 hours  

Karen Weliky

East-West Encounters

The first time Susan Chan saw snow was also the first time she spent a winter in the United States, away from her childhood home in Hong Kong.  

Chupke Chupke Raat Din

This ghazal is sung by the famous Afghan ghazal singer Ahmad Fanous, accompanied by Ravi Albright on tabla. “Chupke  Chupke Raat Din”  

Kal Chaudhvin Ki Raat Thi

This ghazal is sung beautifully by the famous Afghan ghazal singer Ahmad Fanous, accompanied by Ravi Albright on tabla,

To Dar Chashme Man: Ahmad Fanous

This ghazal is sung by the famous Afghan ghazal singer Ahmad Fanous, accompanied by his son, pianist Elham Fanous and by Ravi Albright on tabla.

Ashkam Wale Ba Paye

This ghazal is sung by the famous Afghan ghazal singer Ahmad Fanous, accompanied by his son, pianist Elham Fanous and by Ravi Albright on tabla.

Karen Weliky

A Musician’s Education

As he was relaxing on the beach at sunset, beer in hand, Gerardo Calderon Garcia was startled when a stranger approached. After a short conversation, the stranger

Sankar Raman

Exploring Heritage Through Music

From her childhood, Keiko Araki knew what Taiko drums were. But it wasn’t until she moved to Portland, Oregon, in 2004 and became involved with Portland Taiko that  

Karen Weliky

Pushing Boundaries Through Music

Raúl Gómez Rojas spent his youth learning the violin. Almost every day, he practiced the instrument in his hometown in Costa Rica. Then, at age 24, he found himself

Karen Weliky

After Many Moves, The Music Still Plays

Ainur Zabenova vividly remembers her first violin audition at 7 years old: “The window was open and it was a beautiful sunny day with a little breeze.  

Karen Weliky

Becoming and Never Looking Back

“I always knew I was a hands-on person. I liked taking things apart and putting them back together,” says Fiaindratovo Manavihare, explaining  

Bala

Composing a New Life

A few years into his engineering career at Intel, Balamurali Balu, who goes by Bala, wondered, “Is this really what I want to be doing for the next 30 years […]

Sankar Raman

From the Old, Comes Something New

Some of Yumi Torimaru’s earliest memories are of flying through the streets of Nara, Japan, on her bicycle, focused more on how fast she could go than

Karen Weliky

Seffarine: Blending Cultures into Music

Lamiae Naki first remembers singing for someone when she was six years old. It was Friday, the holy day of Islam, with shops closed and families home together