JURAKHAN (b. 1995) is a musician that attempts to capture and share his perception of reality through genre-bending sonic environments inhabited by a diverse set of collaborators. He believes that improvisation, at every level of the creative process, and working with other creatives are crucial to approaching this ideal. His experience as a composer, rapper, producer, and multi-instrumentalist allows him to curate works that are a sonic amalgam of his various influences. Whether the product is a recording, an electro-acoustic chamber piece, or a solo work, his ambition remains the same. Crafting visceral experiences that can transfix an audience is JURAKHAN’s ultimate goal – to recreate the sublime in ephemeral interactions with each listener.

JURAKHAN attempts to validate all the musicians that inspire him—those who created unique cultures centered around their works, tore down expectations surrounding genre as they continuously grew, and developed their distinct sounds. He hopes to curate a sonic amalgam of these influences that fully represents who he is. REVOLUTION, the piece he wrote for virtuosic pianist, Conrad Tao, comes closest to this idea and embodies the artistic direction in which he hopes to continue. JURAKHAN’s style of music physically affects the listener; the purpose is to communicate his experience by changing how the listener’s body and mind feel through sound. Through his compositional process and collaborations, he hopes to create works of art that are unflinching criticisms of systemic atrocities, as well as explorations and celebrations of uniquely human experiences.

Prior to his musical journey, JURAKHAN pursued a medical career with a degree in biochemistry, jobs in hospitals, Emergency Medical Services, hospice, and as a STEM teacher in Harlem. While no longer fully dedicated to this field, he still retains a great interest in healing. One way he has merged these two worlds is through his workshop, Catharsis Through Sound. JURAKHAN received the Leon Lowenstein Foundation Grant (2020) to carry out this program that serves as a grief support group using the compositional process for emotional catharsis.

JURAKHAN studied with Dr. Vineet Shende at Bowdoin College for his bachelor’s degree in biochemistry & music, where he received the Grua/O’Connell Research Grant (2017) to perform his Symphony No. 1: On Power and Prejudice. He completed his master’s degree in composition with Dr. Oscar Bettison at Peabody Conservatory, where he also mentored under Wendel Patrick and was awarded membership to the Pi Kappa Lambda Epsilon Omicron Chapter (2021). JURAKHAN is pursuing his DMA in composition this fall at University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music where he studies with Moor Mother, Dr. Ted Hearne, and Dr. Nina Young.