Speakers

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  Mehmet Ungan
  

  Mehmet Ungan

  Mehmet Ungan is a sociologist, musician, lecturer and chairman of the board of the Oriental Music Academy in Mannheim, Germany. As a lecturer at the Goethe University in Frankfurt, Mehmet Ungan teaches Islamic-mystical music. At the Mannheim University of Applied Sciences, he teaches transcultural music in social work. With his Sufi music group Hosh Neva he gives guest performances at intercultural and interreligious events all over Europe. He owes his virtuosity on his instruments Ud and Ney to his two teachers Necati Çelik and Ömer Erdogdular (pupil of the legendary Ney master Niyazi Sayin). Mehmet Ungan studied with Oruç Güvenç and for decades has dedicated his life to healing through sound.

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  Ophiel Maarten van Leer
  

  Ophiel Maarten van Leer

  Ophiel Maarten van Leer is a conductor, singer and music teacher with many years of experience in the fields of music and meditation. He is the Vice-President for Europe for the new Inayatiyya Music Activity. He comes from a musical family; His mother introduced him to the Sufi message. At 17, Pir Vilayat Inayat Khan became his inspiring teacher. He studied conducting and school music-teaching in Utrecht. For many years he has led seminars in ensemble singing, musical improvisation and meditation. He teaches music at a Rudolf Steiner School and directs various choirs in the Rhine-Main area around Frankfurt, Germany.

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  Gayatri Hull
  

  Gayatri Hull

  Gayatri Hull has been a leader in the Inayatiyya for 30 years. She is a certified spiritual and healing retreat guide, healer (Shafayat) in the Healing Activity, Cheraga in the Universal Worship and Representative and Guide in the Inner School and Music Activity. Gayatri’s work emphasizes the process of healing through tuning the body, heart, mind and soul. Her work awakens one to the deeper nature of one’s inner being, increases balance, self-care, restoration, rejuvenation, vitality, and an overall sense of wellbeing. Gayatri has a healing practice and retreat center in a beautiful nature setting in New Lebanon, NY. (www.GayatriHull.com)

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  Ali Ungan
  

  Ali Ungan

  Ali Ungan is a graduate chemist with additional qualifications in ancient oriental music therapy and archetypal movement in relation to Turkish-Central Asian music cultures, which he completed with Prof. Oruc Güvenc. He acquired masterclass certificates for baglama from the renowned Erdal Erzincan and Erol Parlak and for tanbur from Murat Aydemir. He is co-founder of the Free Intercultural Waldorf School Mannheim and the Oriental Music Academy Mannheim (OMM). Ali carries out intercultural music projects at various schools based on his concept “Transcultural learning through music and movement”. He works as a lecturer at the State University for Music and Performing Arts Mannheim, the University of Education Heidelberg and the Federal Academy Trossingen with a focus on transcultural music education, group music and an introduction to oriental music practice. Furthermore, he is a juror at Jugend musiziert in Baden-Württemberg, performs internationally and conducts workshops on baglama, rebab, tanbur and guitar.

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  Cofe Inayat Fiakpui
  

  Cofe Inayat Fiakpui

  Cofe Inayat Fiakpui who is of Ghanaian heritage has been immersed in the Eastern traditions of mysticism, music, and healing for 26 years. He owns and runs an internationally renowned healing center in Mexico (Cofethehealer.com) in which radiant and sound frequencies are utilized to heal many conditions. He leads Sound Healing Journeys with his wife Ishi Nili and they offer their music at ceremonies, and spiritual events. He has performed with his group, Indigo Triangle in the World Sacred Music Festival in Los Angeles and the Million More March in Washington D.C.

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  LatifaNoor Anderson
  

  LatifaNoor Anderson

  LatifaNoor Elizabeth Anderson is a graduate of the Na Koja Abad Global Suluk Academy class, Vice President of the Music Activity for Oceania and the Americas, a Representative in the Inner School, Musical Representative, spiritual guide, retreat guide, and center leader for the Light of Harmony Center, Inayatiyya of Dobbs Ferry. She is also a cellist and vocalist; her Indian raga studies inspired the CD LatifaNoor, a synthesis of Raga and Western classical music for cello, voice, and tampura. As a cellist she has toured China, Japan, Mexico, Italy, England, Germany, Finland, Australia, Israel, India, and the US with the Meliora and Cassatt String Quartets and with the New York City Opera. She has recorded for Telarc, Nonesuch, and RCA and her next recordings will feature sacred vocal music for retreat.
  When not traveling for concerts or leading alchemical singing retreats, LatifaNoor loves walking in nature with her basset hound Ruby, cooking for family and friends, and knitting socks.

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  Ruhiya
  

  Ruhiya

  Ruhiya is a singer-songwriter and sound healing practitioner, currently based in Somerset in the UK. Inspired by dreams and nature, her music weaves together influences from her Filipino heritage, Celtic music traditions and Sufi music traditions, including music written by Hazrat Inayat Khan. She is passionate about the voice as an instrument with which to experience mystical depths; and sharing the power of music to harmonise, heal, and transform. ruhiya.com