Galeet Dardashti, a vocalist and scholar, is the first woman to continue her family’s tradition of distinguished Persian-Jewish musicianship. She has earned a reputation as one of the most innovative performers of Jewish music today, beginning with her work as founder and leader of the renowned all-woman ensemble Divahn.

She received a Six Points Fellowship to pursue her multi-disciplinary project The Naming, which interprets some of the compelling women of the Bible. On its nationally acclaimed 2010 release, Time Out New York called The Naming “urgent, heartfelt and hypnotic,” and the Huffington Post described it as “heart-stopping.” In her commissioned multi-sensory piece, Monajat, Dardashti—accompanied by an acclaimed ensemble of Middle Eastern and jazz musicians—reinvents the reflective musical ritual of Selihot using digital technology to sing with recordings of her famed Iranian grandfather.

This livestreamed Jewish Music Masterclass program provides the opportunity to hear about Dardashti’s creative process, listen to some of her music and connect with the artist.