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Ablaye Cissoko & Cyrille Brotto

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About Ablaye Cissoko : Sweetness of tone, finesse of melodic lines, fluidity of the touch, virtuosity without ostentation, purity and generosity — all of these qualities are combined in this stellar musician. Ablaye Cissoko is a part of new generation of artists from Senegal. Griot living in Saint Louis in Senegal, he incarnates the encounter between Mandinka traditions and contemporary musical creation. Used to perform in world music, jazz and even classical or baroque music universes, Ablaye Cissoko is probably one of the most crossover african artist, and one of the top#3 kora player in the world.

As impressive as a singer than an instrumentist, Ablaye Cissoko is an artist without any frontiers, who knows how to renew his musical universe and surprise us again and again. Since his first album “Diam” released in 2003, he recorded more than 16 albums, performed thousands of shows on all continents, in many music genres, and shared studio or stage with famous artists such as Randy Weston, Eric Bibb, Constantinople & Kiya Tabassian, Omar Pene, Cheikh Tidiane Seck, Simon Goubert, Volker Goetze, Sophia Domancich, Majid Bekkas, Hervé Samb …

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Omar Sosa

Artist, OTA Records

Omar Sosa is a Cuban-born pianist, composer, and bandleader whose musical horizons span world jazz, Cuban, Caribbean, Latin American, European, and African traditions. Over a three-decade career including some 35 recordings, Sosa has gained a devoted following, while garnering numerous commissions and residencies, Rockefeller Foundation and National Endowment for the Arts support, the Smithsonian Lifetime Achievement Award, two BBC Radio 3 World Music Awards, four GRAMMY® nominations, and three Latin GRAMMY® nominations.

Omar Sosa’s creative trajectory embodies the expansive perspective of a visionary artist who has taken Monk’s uncompromising attitude to heart. Rooted in Afro-Cuban percussive, dance, and spiritual traditions, intimately versed in a range of contemporary musical forms, but defying easy labels, Sosa’s finely textured compositions and ensemble leadership complement, engage with, and amplify the animating talent of his collaborators through a varied palette of astonishing musicality.

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Tim McHenry

Curator of the Mandala Lab at the Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art

Tim McHenry has been presenting Rubin Museum audiences over the past twenty years with what the Huffington Post has called “some of the most original and inspired programs on the arts and consciousness in New York City.” McHenry initiated some of the early public conversations on neuroscience and contemplative practice in the context of his long-running series Brainwave.

At the Rubin, McHenry specialized in art-contextual experiences that broke the traditional mold, such as an event that converted the museum building into an olfactory Memory Palace; the Dream-Over—a sleepover at the museum for grown-ups— ; and The Game of Life a museum-wide game of emotions that fostered cooperation. He is the curator the Mandala Lab – a secular experiential translation of the Vairocana mandala with the involvement of Ponlop Rinpoche, Mingyur Rinpoche, Peter Gabriel, Dame Evelyn Glennie, Laurie Anderson, Amit Dutta, Apichatpong Weerasethakul and other artists.

It is now on view in a travelling free-standing version that has been seen in Bilbao, London and Milan, and is available in workshop form as well as in a classroom version rooted in Social, Emotional and Ethical Learning (SEE Learning ® ) in a partnership with Emory University.

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Erin Robinsong

Poet and interdisciplinary artist; PhD candidate, Concordia University

Erin Robinsong is a poet and interdisciplinary artist working with ecological imagination. She is the author of Rag Cosmology (2017) and Wet Dream (2022), both winners of the AM Klein Prize for Poetry. Her readings and performances have been presented by the More Than Human Life (MOTH) Festival, Architectural Association School of Architecture, Toronto International Festival of Authors, OFFTA Live Art Festival, Fierce Festival, Blackwood Gallery, and more.

Collaborative dance works with Andréa de Keijzer and Hanna Sybille Müller include This ritual is not an accident; Facing away from that which is coming; and Polymorphic Microbe Bodies. A PhD candidate at Concordia University (Montreal), Erin’s research-creation work focuses on regenerative, relational and embodied poetics. Erin grew up in Coast Salish territory, on Cortes Island, Canada.

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FALU

Artist, Grammy-winning singer and songwriter

Known for her astonishing melodic range, vibrant approach to song lyrics and uncanny ability to blend genres and styles, Falu is a GRAMMY Award® winner and four-time GRAMMY® nominee. She has released seven albums to critical acclaim and her evocative vocals have been featured on dozens of other musical recordings.</span>

In 2022, she was featured at the GRAMMYs® pre-telecast ceremony and then became the first India-born singer/songwriter to win the award for Best Children’s Album. Falu was nominated in 2023 in the Global Music Performance category for a song about world hunger that featured Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Among her music partners are world-famous artists like Yo-Yo Ma, Wyclef Jean, Philip Glass, Ricky Martin, Blues Traveler and A. R. Rahman.

In 2023, Falu appeared at the largest stadium in the world and sang to 132,000 attendees, while another 1.7 billion around the world watched on television. She has been invited to sing at festivities honoring India at the White House by both President Obama and President Biden. Since 2006 Falu has served as Carnegie Hall’s Ambassador of Indian Music. She has performed to sold-out crowds at Carnegie Hall as well as headlining at other landmark venues including the Grand Ole Opry, Monterey Jazz Festival and Wolf Trap.

In 2015, she was recognized by the Economic Times as one of the 20 most influential Indian women in the world. She has served as a music educator and thought leader through her work with Carnegie Hall. Recently named as one the top 50 Global leaders from India in Business and Arts by the Business Standard alongside Indra Nooyi, Satyaji Ray and Pandit Ravi Shankar. The multilingual singer/song-writer has touched millions of hearts by communicating so completely the melodies, rhythms and words that spring from her soul.

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Brown Rice Family

Brown Rice Family is today’s freshest world roots band jamming towards global solidarity and organic happiness. Guided by a strong belief in the natural flow of things, BRF provides the masses with a distinctively organic World Roots Music, which encompasses reggae, hip-hop, dancehall, afro beat, jazz stylings, rock, brazilian, Latin, and funk. The band was formed while its members were attending the City College of New York.

Initially, BRF started off with two members, Yuichi and former member Joe Jang, who both shared the belief that one should live in a healthy environment and eat naturally grown food. While flirting with their organic approach to living and music, they came across brown rice—one of the healthiest foods for human consumption. The band began to grow and is presently comprised of eight members hailing from all over the world—Japan, Jamaica, Haiti, Nigeria, South Africa and USA.

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Chiara Camoni

Il Centro di Sperimentazione, SpazioA, Pistoia

Born in Piacenza (1974) lives and works in Fabbiano in the Apuan Alps, Tuscany (Italy). Her practice consists of drawing, vegetal prints, video and sculpting, particularly with ceramics. Her works often derive from collaboration with friends and relatives, as informal and spontaneous groups or more institutional seminars and workshops. Some selected recent exhibition: Columns, 2025, SpazioA, Pistoia; Call and gather, 2024, Pirelli Hangar Bicocca; Manifesta, 2024, Barcelona; BAB, 2024, Bangkok.

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Cheng Tsung Feng

Installation and Sculpture Artist

Cheng Tsung FENG is an artist who deeply studies traditional craft culture. He learns the production of traditional handmade objects from old craftsmen from different regions, and spends a long time collecting and researching the ancient and gradually forgotten oriental culture, creating art works in various forms and sizes based on this.

His works are not only beautiful, but also storytellers of traditional culture and handmade memories. He shares the gradually forgotten stories through his works, allowing these precious handmade memories to be passed down in modern times.

He often incorporates modern technology into his works, constantly exploring new ways of creation, and always focuses on the quality and aesthetic of his works.

He is an artist with rich value in handmade craftsmanship, full of development potential, imagination, and exploration spirit.

He has been invited by Hermes, Cartier, Loewe, Bottega Veneta, The Balvenie, Apple, Aesop, Nike, The Ritz-Carlton, HBO, Kvadrat and other international brands to create commissioned artworks & projects.

 

IN CHENG TSUNG FENG’S WORDS

How do you think individual, collective, and planetary wellbeing are connected?

I believe individual, collective, and planetary wellbeing are deeply interconnected. When individuals live with awareness and responsibility, their choices contribute to the well-being of their communities. A healthy collective, in turn, fosters a culture that respects and nurtures the environment. The planet’s well-being is not separate from our own—it reflects how we live, create, and coexist. Sustainable practices in our daily lives and creative work can be a bridge that connects personal fulfillment, societal harmony, and environmental balance.

What do you hope the outcomes are from the global Hearth Summit?

I hope the Hearth Summit encourages exchanges that transcend cultural and disciplinary boundaries, fostering new ways of thinking and collaboration. By bringing together individuals from diverse backgrounds, we can create conversations that resonate beyond specialized fields and reach a wider audience. I look forward to seeing how these interactions inspire fresh perspectives and meaningful engagements that extend beyond the summit itself.