Miri Ben Ari

Miri Ben-Ari (born December 4, 1978 in Israel) is a Grammy Award-winning Israeli violinist, who has created her own unique sound with a fusion of classical style with jazz, R&B and hip hop. She has been recognized as a musical pioneer. Currently, she resides in the United States. Miri Ben-Ari has helped sell millions of records by collaborating with other Grammy award-winning artists such as Kanye West, Twista, Jay-Z, Wyclef Jean, Alicia Keys, Wynton Marsalis, Britney Spears, Maroon 5, Patti Labelle, Brandy, Donna Summer, Janet Jackson, Thal?a and John Legend.

Miri Ben-Ari has helped sell millions of records by collaborating with other Grammy award-winning artists such as Kanye West, Twista, Jay-Z, Wyclef Jean, Alicia Keys, Wynton Marsalis, Britney Spears, Maroon 5, Patti Labelle, Brandy, Donna Summer, Janet Jackson, Thal?a and John Legend.

She studied under the late classical master Isaac Stern and has earned the honor from New York's Apollo Theater as an ?Apollo Legend?. She is also known as ?The Hip Hop Violinist?, the title of her latest album (Universal Records). Miri Ben-Ari was raised Jewish all her life.

Miri was featured by Reebok in their ?I Am What I Am? global print and TV advertising campaign. She has done commercials for Pepsi and Coca-Cola and has been the voice of VH1 Save The Music, which promotes live music and music education across the US. She recently appeared in a Jimi Hendrix PSA for BET as a part of black history month.

She has appeared on Sesame Street, is featured in the live performance album and DVD of Aventura's ?Sold Out at Madison Square Garden? concert, has performed for Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, at Lincoln Center for ?VH1 Save The music Gala?, and at Radio City Hall's "Fashion Rocks" concert and at its ?Dream Concert?, a dream team program of artists which included Jennifer Lopez, Alicia Keys, Fergie, Usher, John Mayer, Mary J. Blige, Jennifer Hudson, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Garth Brooks and Santana.

Her single "Symphony of Brotherhood", featuring the Dream speech of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, is the first instrumental single ever to hit on Billboard's R&B/Hip Hop charts, MTV and VH1.

Miri was one of Jewish Women International's "Ten Women To Watch of 2007? and she won the JVIBE award as Best Israeli Artist of 2007. In addition she received the first Israeli Martin Luther King Award from Israel President, Shimon Peres, and the "Eternal Flame Award" from the American Society of Yad Vashem for her work as a feature violinist and music score writer for Paramount's Freedom Writers, starring Hillary Swank.

Miri is co-founder and CEO of the non-profit organization ?Gedenk? ("Remember") dedicated to promoting awareness among young people about the Jewish Holocaust. She recently received the Humanitarian Award from the Jewish Federation "for her inspiring leadership in creating the Gedenk project."