The World Music Institute (WMI) has announced its Spring-Summer 2025 season, featuring a mix of globally renowned and emerging artists. Highlights include performances by Anoushka Shankar, Simon Shaheen, and Youssou N’Dour, alongside fresh talent such as Sardinian prepared guitarist Paolo Angeli and Spanish flamenco duo La Plazuela, making their New York City debut.
This season includes partnerships with key festivals such as Flamenco Festival New York and the New York Guitar Festival. WMI will also present the final edition of Dancing the Gods, a distinguished annual Indian dance festival, concluding after 14 years due to the retirement of founder and curator Rajika Puri.
Featured Performances
Origins Series
- Lucian Ban & Mat Maneri – Transylvanian Folk Songs Reimagined
- February 26 | National Sawdust, Brooklyn
- A fusion of traditional Transylvanian folk music and contemporary jazz, featuring compositions based on Béla Bartók’s field recordings.
- Simon Shaheen Ensemble
- March 2 | Corpus Christi Church, Manhattan
- Palestinian oud and violin virtuoso Simon Shaheen celebrates Palestinian music with an ensemble performing folk and improvisational works from the Levant.
Improvisations Series
- Paolo Angeli
- March 8 | Joe’s Pub, Manhattan
- The Sardinian musician presents his unique prepared guitar, merging improvisation with folk, jazz, and avant-garde elements.
Flamenco Festival NY
- Marina Heredia – “De lo Jondo a Lorca”
- March 14 | Kaufman Music Center, Manhattan
- A tribute to the poetry of Federico García Lorca through flamenco’s deep song tradition.
- La Plazuela – NYC Debut
- March 15 | (le) Poisson Rouge, Manhattan
- A genre-bending flamenco duo from Spain, blending traditional Andalusian roots with funk, pop, and electronic influences.
Changemakers Series
- Sona Jobarteh
- March 18 | Brooklyn Bowl, Brooklyn
- The trailblazing Gambian kora player presents a concert intertwining West African griot traditions with contemporary themes.
- Youssou N’Dour
- April 27 | Kings Theatre, Brooklyn
- The Grammy-winning Senegalese icon brings his signature mbalax sound to NYC.
Masters of Indian Music
- Anoushka Shankar
- March 28 | The Town Hall, Manhattan
- Celebrating 30 years of performing, the acclaimed sitarist presents a dynamic set featuring music from her latest recordings.
- Sarod Trilogy – Amjad Ali Khan, Amaan Ali Bangash, & Ayaan Ali Bangash
- May 30 | NYU Skirball Center, Manhattan
- Three generations of the Bangash family continue the legacy of the sarod in a rare collaborative performance.
Let’s Dance Series
- Vieux Farka Touré
- April 25 | Brooklyn Bowl, Brooklyn
- The Malian guitarist and son of Ali Farka Touré blends desert blues with modern rhythms.
New York Guitar Festival
- Bill Frisell & Skúli Sverrisson
- June 13 | First Unitarian Congregational Society, Brooklyn
- A duo performance by the genre-defying American guitarist and Icelandic composer.
- Yamandu Costa
- June 21 | First Unitarian Congregational Society, Brooklyn
- The Brazilian 7-string guitar virtuoso delivers a solo concert filled with technical mastery and deep emotion.
- Derek Gripper & Rahim AlHaj
- June 26 | Kaufman Music Center, Manhattan
- A cross-cultural collaboration bridging African kora music with classical Arabic oud traditions.
WMI will also continue to offer their popular WMI at Home online programming. View full schedule, with venue, artist, and ticketing information at the WMI website. or in WMI’s digital brochure.
(headline image: Clockwise From Top Left: Youssou NDOUR, Marina Heredia, Amjad Ali Khan (with Amaan Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash), Sona Jobarteh, Paolo Angeli, and Simon Shaheen. Photo credits: Youssou NDOUR – Youri Lenquette, Sona Jobarteh- Rob O’Connor, Paolo Angeli – Nanni Angeli, and Simon Shaheen – Keith Getter. All Other Photos Courtesy of The Artists)
Author: World Music Central News Room
World music news from the editors at World Music Central