"Our mission is to offer a message of unity through music," says Ms. Bahrami, whose passion is to develop creative works of fusion. Ms. Bahrami also offers lectures to educate audiences on how Eastern and Western musical cultures have influenced each other over centuries.
The ensemble made its debut performance at the University of Maryland's Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center in latter 2007 with plans for a nationwide tour in the U.S. and Canada in 2008. The concert also included a talk by Ms. Bahrami on ancient Persian music's evolution and contact with other musical traditions, including flamenco. Depending on an audience's interests, Ms. Bahrami can either expand or de-emphasize the lecture component. Her repertoire includes "Music of Persia," "Music and Spirituality," "Understanding Multi-Cultural Identity through Artistic Expression," and "Traces of Ancient Persian Melodies in Andalusia."
Roya Bahrami: Founder, Composer, Santur, Vocals
Roya Bahrami the founder of the Roya Ensemble has performed at numerous venues throughout North America, including the National Gallery of Art, the Smithsonian Institution’s Freer and Sackler Galleries, the Library of Congress, New York University, University of Washington, Portland Art Museum, George Washington University, and Shepherd University of West Virginia. Ms. Bahrami regularly offers lecture-recitals for the performing arts, cultural, and academic organizations.
 In 1999, Ms. Bahrami appeared on Spain’s national television Program “Imaginaria” and later that year released her first CD entitled Probe, exploring the melding of Persian melodies with other musical traditions. In 2004 Ms. Bahrami composed santur pieces for the celebrated flamenco dancer, Carmela Greco, and accompanied Ms. Greco on her 2004-2005 U.S. tour.
Ms. Bahrami studied the Persian repertoire with the leading masters of the art form including Maestros Lotfi, Alizadeh and Talai, as well as Western classical music, piano, and flamenco with other accomplished artists including Golnoush Khaleghi, Jesus Montoya, and Richard Marlow.
Jonathan Seligman: World Percussion: daf, bodhran, riqq, djembe
Jon Seligman has worked at McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland since 1993, teaching percussion lessons, percussion pedagogy, percussion ensemble and world music. He also teaches percussion lessons, percussion ensemble, jazz combo and music theory at Carroll Community College. Mr. Seligman’s performing and recording credits include the McDaniel College Faculty Jazz Quintet, Michael Formanek’s Minor Infractions Ensemble, Jon Metzger, the Global Percussion Trio, the Lancaster, Reading and York Symphony Orchestras, Robert Macht, Tim Jenkins, the Roya Ensemble, and the Towson State University Faculty Jazz Ensemble. 
Mr. Seligman’s formal studies include: Berklee College of Music; Summer Institutes in Cuban, Hindustani, Turkish and West African music, history and culture at the New England Conservatory; the Arabic Music Retreat at Mt. Holyoke College; and private lessons with Eddie Moore (drum set), Arthur Press (concert percussion), Glen Velez (frame drumming), Michel Merhej (Arab tambourine), Roya Bahrami (Kurdish daf) and Ganesh Kumar (South Indian kanjira and solkattu).
He holds an MAT from the School for International Training in Brattleboro, VT. In 2003, Jon Seligman was awarded a Maryland State Arts Council Grant for Jazz Composition. That same year he received a Faculty Creativity Award from McDaniel College.
Harry Appelman: Keyboards
Harry Appelman has been chosen twice to participate in U.S. State Department music tours overseas to South & Central America in 2002, and in February 2007 to Eastern Europe, Turkey and Cyprus with a latin jazz quartet for the Rhythm Road: American Music Abroad program. Mr. Appelman has toured the United States and Canada with the Woody Herman Orchestra and the Artie Shaw Orchestra. He was a finalist in both the 1987 and 1988 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competitions and one of three prizewinners in the 1989 Great American Jazz Piano Competition.
 Mr. Appelman was named in Washingtonian magazine's list of area's best jazz artists in 2003. He performs in the area at Blues Alley, the Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center, Wolf Trap, Twins, and other popular jazz venues.
A native of the Chicago area, Appelman began his classical music training in the first grade, later turning to the fusion and rock idioms and ultimately to jazz. He holds a Master of Music degree with Distinction from the New England Conservatory. His post-graduate music studies have included work with Jim McNeely, Fred Hersch, Stanley Cowell, Tom McKinley, Sophia Rosoff.
Richard Marlow: Flamenco Guitar
Richard Marlow, the most sought-after flamenco guitarist in the greater Washington-Baltimore metro area, has performed with the Danza del Rio Flamenco Company, Paco de Malaga and Ana Martinez Dance Company, and Arte Flamenco Dance Company. Mr. Marlow was a key member of the production of: “Bailes Ineditos,” “Encuentros,” “Intimo,” and "Entresuenos," flamenco shows which toured the US in 2004-2006 and in which he collaborated with Jesus Montoya, Eli “La Truco,” Carmela Greco, Roberto Castellon, and Pedro Cortes Jr.
 He has appeared at The Kennedy Center’s Millenium Stage, The Baltimore Museum of Art, the Kennedy Center Concert Hall for the 20th Mayor’s Art’s Awards. He performed “Amor Brujo” with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra at the Strathmore Hall in Rockville, MD, and the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall in Baltimore, MD.
Mr. Marlow has been playing the guitar since childhood. He graduated from the James Madison School of Music and subsequently followed his passion in specializing in the flamenco guitar. Mr. Marlow has mastered his art under the tutelage of the master flamenco guitarist Gerardo Nuñez in Sanlucar de Barrameda, Spain.
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