April Centrone is a performer of Arabic percussion (riqq, darbuka, frame drums) and western drumset, as well as the oud, buzuq, saz and violin. April strives to preserve classical Arabic music and promote Arabic music education around the world, giving opportunity to those young and old, musicians amateur and professional, to practice this rich, joyful and ancient art.
April serves as a Carnegie Hall World Explorer and Paul Simon Music Fellow, founder/CEO of 10PRL film production studios, and co-founder/creative director of the New York Arabic Orchestra. She has performed at the United Nations, Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall and NYC Opera House, and is the principal percussionist for Ubisoft’s 2023 soundtrack release of Assassin’s Creed: Mirage video game. As a drummer and percussionist, she has toured with Arab icons, Ziad Rahbani, Marcel Khalife and Bassam Saba, and rock/jazz/avante-garde groups, Secret Chiefs 3 on tour with Primus, Eyvind Kang (Bill Frisell) and others.
April worked widely with inner-city schools, teaching and coordinating multiple world music projects through Musicians For Harmony and Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Connect. She has led Arabic music classes and workshops around the world, including Taipei University of the Arts, Lebanese American University, William Paterson University, Choate Preparatory School and others. She participated in a Music Therapy Tour of Malaysia under the U.S. Embassy where she held workshops at Rohingya refugee youth centers and safe houses for young Malaysian women. During her three-year residence in Lebanon, she worked with various NGOs including AlKamanjati and Najda Now, and her own project, Juthoor, teaching Arabic music to Syrian and Palestinian refugee youth.
