Meet April Centrone, Founder of ACEarts.

Education
Co-founder of the New York Arabic Orchestra in 2007, April has dedicated her career to teaching and sharing Arabic music. She has led workshops and performances for youth and adults worldwide, including programs with Carnegie Hall’s World Explorers and Summer Music Educators Workshop (SMEW), Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Connect, Al-Kamandjati at the Shatila refugee camp, and Paul Simon’s Music Fellowship. Her viral video tutorials reach millions on Instagram and YouTube, making Arabic percussion accessible to a global audience.

Music Therapy
April developed a specialized music therapy program integrating Arabic music and healing practices. She implemented this work through the U.S. Embassy of Malaysia Music Therapy Tour, serving Rohingya youth and young women in safe houses fleeing domestic violence. She has also contributed to the Lincoln Center Moments program for dementia patients and, alongside her therapeutic work, taught percussion to adolescent girls in a psychiatric hospital in New York.

Performance
April has toured with Arab icons Ziad Rahbani and Marcel Khalife, as well as contemporary artists including Dana Salah, Saint Levant, and Emel Mathlouthi. She has performed at major festivals and venues worldwide, including Coachella, SummerStage (Central Park, NYC), Lincoln Center Out of Doors, Celebrate Brooklyn!, GlobalFEST, Festival Músicas do Mundo (Portugal), New Zealand World Music Festival, Festival du Monde Arabe (Montreal), Marciac Jazz Festival (France), and the Taipei Silk Road Conference. Her work has also been featured at venues such as the United Nations, Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and the New York City Opera House.

Composition & Recording
April served as percussionist and producer on Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed: Mirage soundtrack, nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Music for a Video Game (April 2024). She also recorded oud for the Disney+/National Geographic documentary Attack of the Red Sea Sharks, among other film projects. As a composer and producer, she leads her Arabic psych alt-rock project, NEESAN, performing across instruments including Arabic percussion, drum set, oud, saz, buzuq, violin, and guitar.

Event & Film Production
Founder of 10PRL Productions, April produces film and media projects ranging from narratives and commercials to music videos and event coverage. She has overseen projects with budgets exceeding $300,000, including TV pilots and short films. Her event production work includes programming at the United Nations General Assembly Hall and other international venues. She also directed an event space for nearly a decade, hosting a wide range of programming—from weddings, concerts, and art exhibits to dance conventions, fashion shows, and classes.

Visit April’s resume. Watch video tutorials and more on April’s instagram.