“Delbert Anderson is a strong, visionary creative artist. His music bridges cultural traditions, and is delivered with an urgency and passion that captivates. He is an important voice for his community and his generation of American artists.”

– Brad Goode

As the guitar professor of New Jersey City University and performer, Celil Refik Kaya is poised to lead his generation as an artist in the tradition of his masters.

Franklin Piland is an American Indian conductor of wind bands, an active music educator, and a composer of contemporary music. Piland serves on the faculty of Lake View High School in San Angelo, Texas as Director of Bands.

Mehmet Refık Kaya was born in Üsküdar, Istanbul in 1957. At an early age, he learned to repair various plucked and bow instruments from his luthier and oud playing father, Teoman Kaya. After completing his Bachelors from Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University sculpture department, he completed his Masters in Istanbul Technical University Department of Social Sciences by representing Bahariye Mevlevihanesi and Hüseyin Fahrettin Dede. He completed his Doctoral Thesis on “Rebab from yesterday to today and bringing it back to life.”

Turkish composer and performer Egemen Kesikli strives to promote diversity in contemporary music, and his composition catalogue varies from large-orchestral pieces and concertos to alternative chamber works featuring traditional Turkish instruments and unconventional ensemble formations. Egemen’s music has been heard at festivals and venues across North America, Asia, Europe, and Australia, and has been featured on NPR and PBS, as well as on various public radios in Turkey and Austria. He received honors and recognition from ASCAP, Beethoven Club, and Minnesota Music Educators Association, among others.