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Sarah Elizabeth Charles

Musician and Teaching Artist

Sarah Elizabeth Charles is a vocalist/composer mindfulness scholar based in New York City. She has worked with numerous artists, has led her band, SCOPE, for thirteen years and has recorded four critically acclaimed studio albums under her own name. Charles’ musical output has been described as a “genre of one” by DownBeat Magazine, “soulfully articulate” by the NY Times and “an unmatched sound” by Jay Z’s Life+Times. In addition to her performances, Charles is also an active educator. She currently works as a lead teaching artist with Carnegie Hall at Sing Sing Correctional Facility and two courses called Jazz and Gender and New Narratives: Creating Space for Equity in Music at The New School. In 2019, she was one of five recipients of the Yale School of Music’s Distinguished Teaching Artist Award.

In 2020, she became a selected member of the Joe’s Pub Working Group, a recipient of the NYC Women’s Fund grant for her band’s fourth album, Blank Canvas, and a recipient of Chamber Music America’s New Jazz Works grant. In 2023, she was selected by Joe’s Pub to receive the New York Voices Commission for her song cycle set to Maya Angelou’s poetry and debuted her fifth album project Dawn (to be released in October 2025 and inspired by her journey through miscarriage/birth/motherhood). In her duo with pianist Jarrett Cherner, Sarah combines intimate and warm vocals with Jarrett’s expansive piano harmonies to create emotional, melodic songs that touch on themes including selfless love and living with purpose and intention.

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Bowrain

Musician, performer

Bowrain (born Tine Grgurevič) is a Slovenian pianist, composer, and singer-songwriter whose music is a unique fusion of jazz, ambient and electronic music. His compositions are known for their intricate piano melodies, imaginative electronic sound effects, and atmospheric arrangements, which create an engaging and immersive musical experience for listeners, especially during his live concerts. Educated in Rotterdam, Amsterdam, and Philadelphia, Bowrain has made a significant impact on the Slovenian music scene over the past decade through his albums and live performances. He has performed across Europe, the US, and South Africa, where he collaborated with the performance art ensemble The Brother Moves On from Johannesburg.

In 2023, he was an artist-in-residence at the Arvo Pärt Centre in Estonia, where he concluded his residency with a solo concert. In September 2024, Bowrain released his album Million Homes, which premiered at Kino Šiška in Ljubljana. This was followed by a Million Homes solo tour in China, with performances in Shanghai, Beijing, Suzhou, and Sanya in February 2025. Bowrain is also involved in charity initiatives, particularly those supporting the pro-Palestine movement. He has taken part in and co-organized several such events in Slovenia. In May 2025, he performed at the event “Make Freedom Ring” in Berlin, a fundraising concert held at Kühlhaus Berlin in support of the Emergency Aid for Gaza Fund.

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Vuyo Sotashe

Singer, composer, educator, and theater maker

Vuyo Sotashe is a New York based vocalist, composer, and performer originally from South Africa. Since moving to the United states as a Fulbright Scholar, he has performed with celebrated jazz legends including Dee Dee Bridgewater, Jimmy Heath, George Benson, Al Jarreau, Barry Harris, and Winard Harper, to name a few. Recently, he appeared with multi Grammy Award winner and Pulitzer Prize winner Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra as a featured artist on their 2018 Winter Tour across the United States. Sotashe has also appeared as a leader and sideman at the internationally acclaimed Montreux Jazz Festival, the Monterey Jazz Festival, Cape Town International Jazz Festival, Newport Jazz Fest, and Joy of Jazz, and Arcevia Jazz Festival. Sotashe is the recipient of the Van Lier Fellowship for Music at Joe’s Pub/Public Theater for 2018-2019. He collaborated and performed in Somi Kakoma’s debut theater work “Dreaming Zenzile”, which was premiered at Joe’s Pub, as well as the Apollo, and made his commercial-off-broadway debut as part of the cast in “Black Light”, created by performance artist Daniel Alexander Jones in February and October of 2018.

Sotashe has gone on to premier a new play, “Cartography” by Kaneza Schaal & Christopher Myres at the Kennedy Center in January of 2019, which will be at the New Victory Theater in January of 2020. Currently he performs as one of the fronting vocalists in the internationally touring, multi-disciplinary band collective Mwenso and the Shakes, while leading his own ensemble appearing on stages across the United States, and around the world. Sotashe continues to create, collaborate, record, and perform as an indelible creative voice both in his home country, New York City, as well as the international scene.

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Bishop Chantel Wright

Bishop and Founder, Songs of Solomon: An Inspirational Ensemble, Inc.

SONGS OF SOLOMON: An Inspirational Ensemble (SOS), founded in 2001 by veteran conductor, Bishop Chantel Renee Wright, remains true to its mission to serve the world community through its music. Bishop Wright is a firm believer that arts education stimulates children spiritually and intellectually and builds the family through its commitment to a child’s development. We endeavor to bridge all ethnicities while maintaining a safe space to grow. For the past twenty-four years, our membership has found acceptance into college, university and mastered various trades. The Songs of Solomon Choral Union of the National Convention of Gospel Choirs and Choruses serves young people nationwide who desire to celebrate the Good News through gospel music. Members benefit from leadership training, access to internships at other arts organization, and uncompromised spiritual leadership. As vendors with the New York City Department of Education, Songs of Solomon provides direct student services and professional development to public schools. Our music partners allows young people to be able to express their gifts even in the school setting.

In an environment of rage and outrage, inequality, and intolerance, our divine purpose is to be light in the darkness. Our service is designed to penetrate the noise and usher in the hope and joy that we were all created to experience and share. Now as we celebrate our 24th anniversary, The Ensemble has performed with Earth Wind and Fire, Carol King, Elton John, the late Aretha Franklin, and listed among a Who’s Who in the performing arts industry. Songs of Solomon has participated in the Creative Learning Project, Musical Connections, and Count Me In projects at Carnegie Hall.  Most recently, the Ensemble is a mainstay in community outreach projects in partnership with Carnegie Hall and the New York City Department of Juvenile Justice. Songs of Solomon has recorded Variations of the War Cry, toured major cities in the United States, Africa, and abroad, won numerous competitions in the metropolitan area, and continues to serve in churches, corporations and major performing venues.

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Dobet Gnahoré

Artist, City Zen Music

About Dobet Gnahoré

Dobet Gnahoré is a renowned African singer, dancer, songwriter, and percussionist known for her dynamic performances and ability to blend various musical styles from across the African continent. Her work emphasizes cultural preservation and advocacy for women’s rights and empowerment.

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Slovenski Oktet

Artist

The date 27 September 1951 represents an important milestone for Slovenian vocal music. At the initiative of Slovenian immigrants living in North America, eight male singers were chosen at a demanding audition in a small hall at the Slovenian Philharmonic building. Thus, the Slovene Octet was founded. From the very beginning, the Slovene Octet’s main aim was to nurture and ennoble vocal music, from the Renaissance to the contemporary period. In addition, Slovenian folk music represented a very important part of their repertoire, and was brought to many different parts of the world. In its 60 years of existence, the Slovene Octet has performed on all important stages around the world, never neglecting their fellow countrymen.

Many singers have been members of the group, but all of them sharing a strong bond with the Slovenian nation. With its enchanting singing and performances, the Slovene Octet has served as a shining example for many groups. During all these years, over 100 hundred octets have been founded in Slovenia. More than 40 singers have been a part of the Slovene Octet, some of them top-flight musicians, performing in the biggest concerts and opera houses across Europe.

The Slovene Octet has received several awards: the Prešeren Award in 1957, the Prešeren Foundation Award in 1964, the National Certificate of Merit in 1966, an award from the Association of Slovene Composers in 1971, the Drabosnjakova Award in 1975, the Orlando Di Lasso Award in 1984 and the Golden Order of Freedom of the Republic of Slovenia in 1996. Another important milestone for the Slovene Octet was reached in 1996 when the entire group of singers was changed. The Slovene Octet was rejuvenated and began down a new path to musical perfection, remaining faithful to its tradition. The group’s 50th anniversary concert included its best-known songs, which brought the Slovene Octet its worldwide fame. The group has published three CDs with the most beautiful Slovenian songs.

In 2007, the book Slovenski oktet (Slovene Octet) by Boris Pangerc, which summarised the group’s activities over the years, was published. The Slovene Octet performs at all major music festivals and encourages young groups across Slovenia to cherish Slovenian folk and artistic music. Band Andrej Oder, Rok Ferenčak – 1st Tenor David Jagodic, Janez Triler – 2nd Tenor Jože Vidic, Darko Vidic – Baritone Janko Volčanšek, Miha Bole – Bass Artistic director: JOŽE VIDIC

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Magos Herrera

Singer, composer, educator and activist

Born in Mexico City and based out of New York City, Magos Herrera is a jazz singer-songwriter, producer, activist and educator. Declared as “One of the greatest contemporary interpreters of song” by The Latin Jazz Network, With a sultry voice and an unparalleled presence in the contemporary Latin American jazz scene, Magos is best known for her eloquent vocal improvisation and her singular bold style, which embraces elements of contemporary jazz with Ibero-American melodies and rhythms in a style that elegantly blends and surpasses language boundaries. Has recorded 11 albums including joint collaborations with producer Javier Limón and composer Paola Prestini in addition to having participated as a guest artist of several recordings including the recent Femenina project with pianist Edward Simon. Has performed in leading cultural venues around the world such as Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center in NYC, Kennedy Center in DC and has been part of the line-up of some of the most memorable jazz festivals including Montreux Jazz Festival and Montreal Jazz Festival, to mention a few.

Throughout her career she has garnered important awards and recognitions, including 2 Grammy nominations and have received the Berklee College of Music’s Master of Latin Music Award. She serves as spokesperson for UN Women to promote gender equality. Herrera is a 2020 recipient of Chamber Music Americas New Jazz Works Award has been included as one of the most creative Mexicans in the world by Forbes Mexico Magazine. Commissioned by the Metropolitan Museum Magos premier her first opera co-written with Paola Prestini on the iconic mexican baroque writer Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz ”Primero sueño” at the MET Cloisters on January 2025.

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Renee van Bavel

Artist

In her work, the Berlin-based Dutch artist Renee van Bavel deals with the themes of peace, freedom, and human connection. By using various art forms, she initiates ways to approach and experience these topics at a personal level, as is emphatically shown in her space-encompassing work of art THE MIRROR OF PEACE. Viewers see themselves reflected in full size and read a text saying: “This is what people living in peace look like.” It becomes instantly clear that a life lived in peace cannot be taken for granted, and that we must act consciously—every day—to preserve this peace. From 2022 to 2024, she worked as Artist in Residence at the Memorial Sites Sachsenhausen and Ravensbrück, where she developed new forms of remembrance through the medium of art. With her artistic practice, Renee van Bavel knows how to appeal to people’s feelings, to bring them back to emotionally reflecting on war and peace, and to focus on what unites us.

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Dan Acher

Artivist

Artivist Dan Acher is the founder of Happy City Lab and an Ashoka Fellow based in Geneva, Switzerland. Central to his work is art as generator of change across local and global communities. Dan uses cities as playgrounds in which citizens of all backgrounds can connect and engage with the key issues of our time, both individually and collectively. His large-scale installations are designed to evoke awe and communal introspection. Their size and humanity serve to remind us that we are all in this together.

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Seckou Keita

Artist; Omar Sosa & Seckou Keita SUBA Trio

Variously described as a ‘griot (praise singer), composer, djembe master, virtuoso and pioneer’, Seckou Keita is a rare type of musician, seated in tradition whilst constantly pushing the boundaries of his art. A true master of the kora – a 22 stringed West African harp – Seckou, from the Casamance area of Southern Senegal, was a childhood prodigy, born of a line of griots and kings. Cissokho, his mother’s family name, gave life to his talent; Keita, his father’s, gave him royal blood. Seckou has graced the international stage since 1996, earning worldwide acclaim for his kora playing and appearing with a host of fellow artists, including Salif Keita, Paul Weller, Damon Alban and the Orchestra of Syrian Musicians, Youssou N’Dour, Baaba Maal, Miriam Makeba and Neil Finn. His albums Clychau Dibon (2013), the fruit of his collaboration with Welsh harpist Catrin Finch, won fRoots Critics Poll Album of The Year 2013, Songlines Magazine Best Cross-Cultural Collaboration 2014, and two BBC Radio 2 Folk Award nominations.

In 2016 he won the Songlines award for Best Album for Africa and the Middle East for 22 Strings. 2017 saw the release of Transparent Water, his collaborative album with Cuban Jazz Pianist Omar Sosa, which toured Japan, France, the UK and the USA. In 2018 he joined the lineup of The Lost Words: Spell Songs, a musical companion piece to The Lost Words: A Spell Book, the acclaimed work by authors Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris, working alongside musicians Karine Polwart, Julie Fowlis, Kris Drever, Kerry Andrew, Rachel Newton, Beth Porter and Jim Molyneux. Catrin Finch and Seckou Keita released their second album SOAR in April 2018 to huge critical acclaim, sweeping the board for music industry awards, winning ‘Best Fusion’ album in the Songlines Music Awards 2019, fRoots ‘Critics Poll Album of The Year’ 2018 and ‘Best Transregional Album’ in the Transglobal World Music Chart. In October 2019, Seckou won ‘Musician of the Year’ and ‘Best Group/Duo’ for his collaborative project with Catrin Finch at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards.

Finch and Keita have been named artists in residence at Liverpool Philharmonic for the 2020/21 season. Seckou Keita has arguably become the most influential and inspiring Kora player of his generation, an exceptional and charismatic musician and a modern global citizen, living with seven centuries of tradition and heritage expressed through his music. In his last solo album 22 Strings (released May 2015), Seckou gives us the kora in its purest guise, a wondrous instrument that can soothe the bloodlust of warriors and take the human spirit to a place of deep meditation, stillness and beauty.