JLive Music: World Music multi-instrumentalist Yoni Battat

Yoni is a Boston-based performer and teacher, playing viola and violin in a variety of styles. With strong roots in classical music and experience with several professional orchestras, Yoni improvises in a number of other musical traditions; jazz, folk, middle-eastern, salsa, and klezmer. Yoni also plays Arabic music on violin and oud. He has performed with many of the world’s foremost world-music legends including Pablo Ziegler (Tango), Simon Shaheen (Arabic), and Yair Dalal (Iraqi-Jewish).  He spent three years playing with the Brandeis University Miras Project, working with exceptional musicians from across the Middle East. He has supplemented this musical exploration with academic studies in Arabic and Yiddish language as well as ethnomusicological and peace-building coursework. Through such work, Yoni aims to increase global awareness and celebrate cultural diversity through music.