Born into a family of artists, Arn Chorn-Pond grew up in Cambodia during the Khmer Rouge regime. Sent to a child labor camp and forced to play propaganda music during that period, he was later adopted by Reverend Peter Pond and moved to Vermont. After attending Brown University and graduating from Providence College, he returned to Cambodia on a mission to find the legacy of his family who were involved in Cambodian Opera, his music teacher from the time of the Khmer Rouge, and the stars of his early childhood. On this trip, the Cambodian Masters Performers Project, now Cambodian Living Arts, was born. Arn now lives outside of Phnom Penh and continues to work part-time on projects for Cambodian Living Arts. Arn is an IMC Music Rights Champion 
Huda I. Alkhamis-Kanoo is a philanthropist who has dedicated her life to inspiring artists to create, generations to innovate and communities to unite and prosper. She worked tirelessly to found the Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation (ADMAF) in 1996 and is also the Artistic Director of the jewel in its crown, the Abu Dhabi Festival, which she established in 2004. Huda I. Alkhamis-Kanoo’s unquantifiable contribution to the UAE’s national cultural sector was recognised by H.H. President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan in 2006. He appointed her to the Board of the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture & Heritage (now Tourism & Culture Authority Abu Dhabi), on which she served until 2012. 
Dr. Sarmast is the founder and director of the Afghanistan National Institute of Music (ANIM). He is an advocate for music education and strong believer in the power of music as a force in bringing about social changes, transforming lives, and connecting nations and civilizations. Music in Afghanistan thrived for centuries; in the 1980’s alone there was a thriving pop and film music industry, hundreds of ensembles and a unique radio orchestra with Western and Afghan instruments. All of this was destroyed by the civil war in the 1990’s and its aftermath. Between 1996 and 2001, music was completely banned in Afghanistan. The project “Revival of Music Education in Afghanistan” received the IMC Music Rights Award in 2009 as an encouragement to the project and a signal to the donor community.
Panelists
Ramy Essam is a rocker, an agitator, and a force of nature live on stage. He is considered to be one of the loudest voices for the young generation in Egypt and is an international symbol of social activism and a beacon of uncommon bravery in the Middle East and today even more globally with a heighten message around censorship and human rights especailly around gender equality. His activism and commitment to standing up to dictators earned him The Václav Havel International Prize for Creative Dissent this past month in Oslo Sweden. Ramy was travel banned for nearly a year and in Jan of 2019 got new travel papers and resolved to come out even stronger against oppression. Ramy Essam is an IMC Music Rights Champion
Olfa Arfaoui is an award winner film producer and gender diversity specialist. She is the country manager the Regional Program of Women Economic Integration in the MENA Region in Tunisia. In her role, she is responsible for implementing gender diversity in private companies to improve female participation in the labor market and decision making. She coordinates awareness raising activities on women’s roles in the economy and society. Recently, she was nominated as a changemaker of the Challenging Norms, Powering Economies Initiative of Ashoka, Open Society Foundation and UN Women for her efforts on empowering women and girls. She has a M.Sc. on Management and Strategy and pursuing a leadership programme with the Bush Institute. She writes and speaks about gender equality and female leadership. She co-founded several women’s networks and organizations as Ana Hunna International and Women Empowerment Projects Initiative WEPsI. Olfa Arfaoui is also contributing in various gender projects in Africa and Middle East.
Tia Korpe is the Founder and managing director of Danish non-profit organization and booking agency, Future Female Sounds, on a mission to make DJ’ing accessible to girls globally.
As a DJ, social entrepreneur and freelance cultural consultant, Tia has a decade’s experience in global project management, event production, and programme development. Her expertise lies in music and social change and unlocking creative potential in young people, and especially girls and women- using music as a tool for empowerment, building community, and talent development and professionalization. Tia has consulted for a number of organizations, medias, and music festivals across Europe, Africa and The Middle East Future Female Sounds just launched the first DJ Academy for girls in Tunisia, and upcoming DJ Programmes for girls in China, India, and South Africa.
Sonja Greiner is the Secretary General of the European Choral Association – Europa Cantat (ECA-EC) and a member of the Board of the World Youth Choir Foundation.
With her German father and French mother, she spent several years of her childhood and youth in Peru and Ecuador, Latin-America. After studying English, French and Spanish in Germany, and doing two years of teacher training, she first became the manager of the International Chamber-Choir Competition and the festival Musica Sacra International in Marktoberdorf, Germany, at the beginning of the 90ies. She later became deputy Secretary General and then Secretary General of the ECA-EC since 2011.
Sonja Greiner was a member and Treasurer of both the European and the International Music Council between 2000 and 2013 and was elected Honorary Member of the International Music Council in 2015.
S. Alex Ruthmann is Associate Professor of Music Education & Music Technology at NYU Steinhardt. Dr. Ruthmann directs the Music Experience Design Lab (New York City) and the Creative Experience Design Lab (Shanghai) researching and designing new technologies and experiences for creative learning, music making, and entrepreneurial engagement.
Wally Badarou has worked with Level 42, Grace Jones, Joe Cocker, Mick Jagger, Robert Palmer, Marianne Faithfull, Talking Heads, Foreigner, Fela Kuti among others. A film composer, musical director of the French revolution Bicentennial, organiser of the Kora Awards, his pioneering work in computer music includes “Echoes” and “Words Of A Mountain”. \lsdlo
Kathryn Marsh is Professor of Music Education at the University of Sydney. Her research include children’s musical play, cultural diversity in music education, and the role of music in the lives of refugee and immigrant children. She is a member of the boards of Psychology of Music, International Journal of Play, International Journal of Music Education and British Journal of Music Education and was a Visiting Research Fellow at the Refugee Studies Centre. She has engaged in partnerships to develop collaborative musical engagement with recently arrived young people of refugee background. lsdlock
Mary L. Cohen is an Associate Professor of Music Education at the University of Iowa. She researches music-making and well-being, songwriting, and collaborative communities. In 2009, she founded the Oakdale Prison Community Choir (http://oakdalechoir.lib.uiowa.edu/). She is completing a book with co-author Stuart Paul Duncan titled Silenced Voices: Music-Making in Prisons.
Didier Zerath is primarily an artist manager, having held positions at companies such as EMI Music Europe Continentale, based in London, Warner Music France, EMI France and BMG Records in Paris. In 1999 Didier Zerath created Music Manager Forum France and was one of the founding members of the International Music Manager Forum in 2000, of which he is still a member of the board of directors. In 2015 he created the Alliance of Artists Managers, a professional organisation for the defense of the interests of the managers of which he is the President since its creation and which represents IMMF in France. In 2018 he joined Panteia, a consulting company, in charge of issues related to live performance, phonographic publishing and music publishing. Additionally he is working as a speaker and expert at various occasions (MIDEM, Reeperbahn, etc.).
Mary Luehrsen is director of public affairs and government relations for NAMM, the National Association for Music Merchants and Executive Director of the NAMM Foundation. Luehrsen oversees NAMM’s policy, government relations and advocacy efforts that affect support and opportunities for music education. Her role with the NAMM Foundation focuses on support for music research, and philanthropic and public service programs that advance music making opportunities for people of all ages and abilities. Luehrsen leads NAMM’s efforts to advance music education for all children through the SupportMusic Coalition – a vast network of global partnership organizations united to create opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to know the joys and benefits of learning and making music. She spearheaded the development of NAMM’s GenNext and Music Education Days programs that host thousands of university music faculty, students and music educators at the annual NAMM Show in California to inspire career options in music, connections with the music industry and advance opportunities for music learning. A former professional flutist and music teacher, Luehrsen acknowledges her inspiration for work as a music education advocate to her first music teachers in a small, rural community in the US and a belief that all children have the right to learn and grow with music.
Amber Watts is a creative entrepreneur from Stockholm. Big interests are culture politics and organisation/independent business strategy, with background as a music producer, engineer, songwriter and vocalist. Amber co-founded Upfront Producer Network in 2015 (A Network of 170+ women, non-binary/trans producers) and sits on the board for SKAP.
Carl Jones studied violin and double bass with Scoil Una Naofa Violin & Orchestra Project. He plays with St Agnes Chamber Orchestra Dublin Youth Orchestras and the Irish Youth Wind Ensemble. He takes leading roles in musical theatre. He will finish secondary school in 2021 and is particularly interested in science.
Tabu Osusa is an award-winning author and the founding Executive Director of Ketebul Music, a not-for-profit organisation incorporated in Kenya in 2007. For more than 35 years, Osusa has been involved in the music industry as a songwriter, recording artist, band manager, and documentary film & music producer. Tabu is an IMC Music Rights Champion.
Farzane Zamen is an Iranian singer-songwriter and music producer based in Glasgow. She published songs in Farsi, English and Azerbaijani. Before moving to Scotland she was based in Tehran-Iran, somewhere she never could perform in public and publish music officially because of discriminations against women. She was an underground musician and streamed her music through online music services.
Emmanuel Mujuru, head of pedagogy at Music Crossroads Academy Zimbabwe, holds a BMus degree in ethnomusicology; Africa University and a 1st Class BA Special Honours degree in Music; Great Zimbabwe University. Currently studying for Master in dance. Awards: University best student Award and the Vice Chancellor’s first class degree Award.
Lungile Jacobs is a composer, arranger, adjudicator, voice trainer, and producer of classical and jazz choral music concerts. He wears different hats as chairman and conductor of Young Voices South Africa, member of the IFCM & president of the Choral Music Federation of South Africa (COMFESA ). He is the former director of the University of Cape Town Choir for Africa, the founding director of Voices of Cape Town, Ingoma Music Ministries & Township Opera Company and founded the following organisations: South African Tertiary Institutions Choral Association, South African Choral Music Association & the Western Cape Choral Music Association. He is also a former founding member of the South African Choral Music Association (SACMA), South African Tertiary Institutions Choral Association (SATICA) & the Western Cape Choral Music Association (WECCMA).
Solange Cesarovna, a singer and songwriter is a humanist woman and copyright ambassador, President of Cabo Verde’s SCM and CIAM’s permanent observer. As an artist she is considered the Queen of Morna of the 21st Century. In 2013, Solange participated in the creation of SCM which is the CMO for copyright and neighboring rights of Cabo Verde. Solange was elected in 2013 and re-elected in 2018 as SCM President, facilitating significant changes within the Cabo Verdean copyright landscape. Under her presidency, SCM joined the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC) in 2017.
Louise Mitchell was appointed in 2011 as Chief Executive of the Bristol Music Trust, an independent charitable trust set up that year to drive forward music in Bristol and to help secure a sustainable future for Colston Hall. Previously, Louise was the first Director of Glasgow UNESCO City of Music, a position taken up after being at the head of the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall for 13 years where she spearheaded the regeneration of two of Glasgow’s most revered venues: the City Halls and the Old Fruitmarket. This role also included responsibility for the world renowned Celtic Connections Festival. Previous experience includes positions with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Barbican Centre and as Assistant Director of the Edinburgh International Festival. Louise is a Board member of the Association of British Orchestras and Destination Bristol; a Trustee of the British Paraorchestra, Honorary Secretary for the Royal Philharmonic Society; a Royal Society of Arts Fellow; a director of the British Association of Concert Halls and also a past Board Member of International Society for Performing Arts.In 2017 Louise was awarded the Patrick Hayes Award by the International Society for Performing Arts, recognising exceptional transformative leadership in the performing arts
phloeun prim: executive director, Cambodian Living Arts. A visionary cultural entrepreneur, Phloeun has spearheaded Cambodian Living Arts’ transformation from a grassroots project reviving traditional arts to the leading cultural agency in Cambodia. Having set out a strategic vision and long-term roadmap for CLA at the beginning of his tenure, Phloeun has led the organization to extend its reach from local to international programming; to expand its community from the old generation of teachers to the new generation of emerging leaders, artists and entrepreneurs, and to evolve its role from straightforward transmission of traditions to stimulating expression and innovation. As someone born during the genocide, Phloeun is proud to have returned to Cambodia and be part of the movement to use the arts for healing, social transformation and economic development. He is passionate about encouraging today’s expression, but remains inspired by the first work of CLA, the work on reviving oral transmission.
Maria Claudia Parias is a Journalist (Universidad de La Sabana, Bogotá), with a Master’s Degree in Cultural Management from the University of Barcelona. She has worked in the culture scene for more than 25 years and has participated in the design and execution of local, national and international cultural projects. In the cultural management circuit, she has worked for the Arts Festival of Cali; the Museum of Modern Art of Bogotá; the Cultural Action Service of the French Embassy; the Convenio Andres Bello; the Colombia-UNESCO Cooperation Commission as Executive Secretary, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Colombia as Director of Cultural Affairs, the Bogota Philharmonic Orchestra as General Director and the Ministry of Culture of Colombia as Regional Promotion Director. She currently serves as Executive President of Fundación Nacional Batuta.
Arthur Gill holds a BA in Music from the University of Punjab, Pakistan and a Post Graduate Certificate in Music and Special Education from the University of Roehampton, London. He is the Music & Special Education Teacher at the Special Education Centre for Visually and Physically Handicapped Children in Gujarat City, Pakistan and works across the country as an advocate for music education. He has received support from ISME and SEMPRE in the UK and is currently running music education projects across Gujrat city with over 500 children creating music in English, Urdu and Punjabi. He covers a diverse range of musical instruments including keyboard, harmonium, tabla, dholak and sitar. He has presented with Dr Donald Devito at the National Association of State of Directors of Special Education, Nashville Tenessee in 2010 and at the Florida Council for Exceptional Children. His work has been covered in the book Community Music Today and a range of local and international publications.
Irfan Aulia is Managing Director of “Massive Music Entertainment Ltd.”, the biggest music publishing company in Indonesia, which specializes in copyright publishing and music advertising with worldwide clients, such as Universal Music Group, YouTube, Joox, SpoBfy, Dentsu, Garena, etc. He has more than fourteen years of experience as a top-level manager in cross sector organizations, which offers expertise in developing successful growth strategies. He serves as vice chairman of the Indonesian Performing Rights Organization (WAMI, member of CISAC), also since 2016 he appointed as the Executive Committee of APMA-CIAM. Mr. Aulia himself is a musician and notable composer in Indonesia, being a guitarist of SamSonS band, one of the most popular bands in Indonesia whose albums hit multi-platinum awards for the record sales. Since 2018, he become Project Director of the Indonesian Creative Economy Agency (BEKRAF) where he is involved in developing “Project PORTAMENTO,” a platform which applies the blockchain technology to the music industry with aims to vigorously develop market for digital music as well as to protect the copyright of musicians and composers.
Payam Susanni worked as a teacher at Clavier Werke School of Music, in Austin, USA. Since coming back to Izmir, Turkey, she teaches at Yasar University Arts and Design Faculty, School of Music. Since 2010 Payam has been the Music Department’s International Relations Coordinator. She is in the AEC SMS Project’s Entrepreneurship Working Group and coordinator of the project “OMEGA”. She has completed her Doctorate dissertation on Entrepreneurship and Music Education.
Jan Lothe Eriksen, former cellist in Stavanger Symphony Orchestra, vice president of the Norwegian Musicians’ Union, director of the Norwegian Traditional Music and Dance Association, initiator and first director of Riksscenen, national venue for trad. music and dance, and in recent years also as cellist with Sami artist Vassvik. Serves today as SafeMUSE Project Manager.
Frederick Rousseau of IRCAM and the Institute for Music/Acoustic Research & Coordination will talk about technological innovation in music. Rousseau is a pioneer of electronic music ( 19 solo albums), and of the application of technology to entertainment. In a 40 year career, his collaborations include working with music greats such as Vangelis and Jean Michel Jarre, Oliver Stone, Roman Polanski.
Professor and doctoral advisor in the Music College of Capital Normal University in Beijing, China. Shibin Zhou is the President of the Chinese Music Psychology Association & the Xun professional Committee, the Deputy director of the Chinese Music Education Professional Committee & Vice president of the Chinese Music Therapy Association. After the earthquake in 2008 that devastated Sichuan, China, he led teams to schools to help children with music for psychological rehabilitation.
Mariam Obange has a nine-year experience as a professional vocalist and performer. She is a beneficiary of the National Youth Talent Academy that earned her a certificate in vocal performance. This led her to work with Tusker Project Fame Season 5 competition as a backup singer and with Permanent Presidential Music Commission of Kenya annual talent camps as a voice tutor. She has taken part in the La Kolaiter Music Summit that was held in Cameroon, West Africa. In 2015, she released her debut gospel single, Baraka. She is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Music at Kabarak University School of Music and Performing Arts.
Alison Russo is the Senior Director of IIE’s Artist Protection Fund (APF). Alison joined IIE in 2015 to design and develop the new IIE-APF Program—she oversees the IIE-APF operations, including partnerships, program policy, outreach, placement and communications. Prior to joining IIE, Alison managed and curated the Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center Programs. Alison is an honors graduate of the University of Connecticut and holds her MFA from California Institute of the Arts.
Dr. Sheila C. Woodward is Professor of Music and Director of Music Education at Eastern Washington University, USA. She is a native South African and earned her Ph.D. from the University of Cape Town. Dr. Woodward is Vice President of the International Music Council and was previously President of the International Society for Music Education. Dr. Woodward’s research focus is Music and Wellbeing. She explores this from before birth to adulthood, with studies on the fetus, neonate, premature infant, young child, at-risk youth, juvenile offender, student and adult musician.
Christine Semba is a core WOMEX team member and leads Piranha Arts Consultancy, which aims to provide international expertise to a broad range of partners like music conferences, institutions, export bodies and further. She also runs the WOMEX Academy, a new initiative building capacities of young music operators in internationalisation.
Vanessa Bertran is a writer for dubbed dialogues and has written the French translations of a lot of movies, TV shows, TV films and cartoons. As songwriter, she has also written the French adaptations of many cartoon credits. She is the president of the Union Professionnelle des Auteurs de Doublage, and is very much involved in the copyright protection, most lately during the adoption process of the European Directive on copyright and is working on improving social security for writers. She is also executive board member of the SACEM and was chair of the SACEM Audio-visual Committee with her colleagues composing for images.
Naomi Pohl is Deputy General Secretary at the British Musicians’ Union. She has overall responsibility at the BMU for collective bargaining agreements with UK record labels, orchestras, broadcasters and theatre producers. She has been involved in high profile campaigns for improved streaming royalties for performers, better funding for music education and the arts in general and is an expert on copyright and performers’ rights.
Dr Marina Gall has led the one-year teacher education programme for secondary school music teachers at the University of Bristol, UK since 1999. She is a board member of the European Association for Music in Schools. Her research focuses on music education in schools; teacher education; children’s use of music technologies in and outside the classroom; and issues of social justice, including music for young people with special educational needs/disabilities.
Mr Ernesto Ottone R. is the Assistant Director-General for Culture of UNESCO. Prior to this position, Mr Ottone R. served as Chile’s first Minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage from 2015 to 2018. As Minister of Culture, he created a Department of First Peoples, a Migrants Unit and strengthened copyright laws and heritage protections. During this time, he also chaired the Regional Centre for the Promotion of Books in Latin America and the Caribbean (2016 – 2017). From 2011 to 2015, Mr Ottone R. served as Director-General of the Artistic and Cultural Extension Center of the University of Chile, which manages the National Symphony Orchestra of Chile, the Chilean National Ballet (BANCH), the Chile Symphony Choir and the Vocal Camerata. From 2001 to 2010, he held the position of Executive Director at the Matucana 100 Cultural Center in Santiago. Mr Ottone R. holds a Master’s degree in Management of Cultural Institutions and Policies from the University of Paris IX Dauphine (1998) and a Bachelor of Arts in theatre from the University of Chile (1995).
Nina Obuljen Koržinek, current Minister of Culture of the Republic of Croatia, has been working as a research associate at the Institute for Development and International Relations in Zagreb. Her research interests include cultural and media policy. She has been publishing books and articles as well as expert studies in Croatian and international journals. She has been working as an expert on various projects for UNESCO, Council of Europe, European Cultural Foundation, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), European Parliament etc. She received the European Cultural Policy Research Award for her research on the impact of the EU enlargement on cultural policies that was published in the book Why we need European Cultural Policies: impact of EU enlargement on countries in transition, Amsterdam, 2006. She was a member of the negotiating team for the Croatian accession to the EU responsible for the fields of culture and education as well as information society and media.
With a Master’s Degree in European Affairs, Elise Phamgia has been building up an expertise in international and European cultural cooperation projects between Paris, Brussels and Montreal. She is now the project coordinator for Liveurope, the first EU-supported platform bringing together 15 iconic live music venues on the continent. Launched in 2014, the support for Liveurope has been renewed until 2021.
Dutch-Moroccan Roufaida Aboutaleb (25) is a Rotterdam based musician, maker of the GRRRLS podcast and cultural advisor for municipalities. Belonging and estrangement are a few of the leading themes in both her music and the podcast show. Roufaida researches the strength of diversity by canvassing the voices of inspirational women from different backgrounds.
Curators
WFM’s rich and diverse programme is curated by:
Emily Achieng’ Akuno is a Professor of Music at the Technical University of Kenya and Deputy Vice-Chancellor in charge of academic affairs at the Co-operative University of Kenya. Trained as a performer-educator, she is president of IMC and President-Elect of the International Society of Music Education (ISME), where her academic engagement revolves around culture responsive music teaching. 
Alfons Karabuda, composer and president of ECSA (European Composer and Songwriter Alliance), executive chairman of SKAP (the Swedish Association of Composers, Songwriters & Lyricists) and expert in the field of artistic rights to the UN Human Rights Council. He is executive vice president of IMC (International Music Council), member of the board of The Royal College of Music in Stockholm, Music Sweden, STIM (The Swedish Performing Rights Society) and chair of the Polar Music Prize Award Committee. 
Dr. Sheila C. Woodward is Professor of Music and Director of Music Education at Eastern Washington University, USA. She is a native South African and earned her Ph.D. from the University of Cape Town. Dr. Woodward is Vice President of the International Music Council and was previously President of the International Society for Music Education. Dr. Woodward’s research focus is Music and Wellbeing. She explores this from before birth to adulthood, with studies on the fetus, neonate, premature infant, young child, at-risk youth, juvenile offender, student and adult musician. 
Allin Gray is an arts manger and musician with a strong interest in sustainability and how humans will live meaningfully in the future. He is Executive Director of the Irish Association of Youth Orchestras, Treasurer of the European Orchestra Federation and an Executive Board Member of the International Music Council. 
Jesse Boere is Associate Instructor of Music at NYU Abu Dhabi. He is a singer and composer with a background in jazz and graduated magna cum laude with a degree in contemporary performance at Berklee College of Music, Valencia Campus. He served as a youth advisor for the Dutch Arts Council in early 2015, presided as president of the Netherlands Student Chamber Choir from 2011-2013, led the youth movement of the European Choral Association from 2013-2015 and is currently Executive Board member of the IMC. 
Ian Smith is currently the President of the European Music Council. Ian’s background is as a professional musician, performing with the RSNO/Royal Scottish National Orchestra, LSO/London Symphony Orchestra and as founder/director of Scottish Brass. He moved to the UK Musician’s Union in 1993 as Scottish & Northern Ireland Secretary and in 2005 was appointed Head of Music at the Scottish Arts Council. In 2010 Ian moved to a new organisation; Creative Scotland, where his responsibilities also included film, media and intellectual property. He retired from that post in July 2016. Ian was elected to the board of ISPA/International Society for the Performing Arts based in New York in 2016 and appointed Treasurer and member of their executive board. In 2017 Ian was invited to join the boards of Cryptic, a music production company based in Glasgow and the Red Note Ensemble; an international contemporary music ensemble based in Edinburgh. Ian has recently joined the advisory board of a Scottish-based health trust to promote live art and music in hospitals throughout Scotland.
