Meet ARKAI—genre-bending violin/cello duo and big fans of Harmony Project

If you've ever felt a wave of optimism for the future of music crest over you, then interacting with Jonathan Miron and Philip Sheegog of the violin/cello duo ARKAI will feel familiar. Both of them have a passion for, in their own words, "stretching the possibilities of what violin and cello can do together" in harmony with a vision for "music education that builds students as whole people." And they're putting that passion to work. 

So, when the pair heard about Harmony Project, a partnership was a no-brainer.  ARKAI's vision for pushing the limits of performing is only matched by their hopes for the next generation of musicians. "You stood out and inspired us," Jonathan notes. "Harmony Project has an incredible footprint considering how important music education is, especially in under-resourced communities." 

In addition to putting on a special virtual concert to spread awareness and raise funds for our mission, they also participated in our summer programming, giving an artists' talk and improvisation workshop to our students.

So, how did this magical dyad even come about? It's easy to think theirs is a partnership forged through a decade of thoughtful collaboration and learning. But then, sometimes it's fate. They met by chance at a conference, and ended up improvising together. Just a few months later, they composed their electrifying piece, Aurora.

From the start, others noticed their specialness too. It soon became apparent they wouldn't be able to attend events together without their reputation preceding them. Jonathan recalls in good humor, "I was eating chicken satay making small talk with this guy, and within a month we were performing in his penthouse apartment."

And for those who want to follow in their genre-bending, community-building, virtual concert-performing footsteps? Their greatest recommendation is to pursue your passions, even when it might be difficult. "Embrace challenge," Philip urges, "Because that's where you grow. Do hard things. Failure is okay." Jonathan nods in agreement. "The world needs people willing to take risks in pursuit of their unique voice. Lead with your curiosities. Be fearless!"