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Miri Ben-Ari מירי בן-ארי | |
|---|---|
 Ben-Ari in 2011 | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as |
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| Born | (1978-12-04)4 December 1978 (age 47) |
| Origin | Fort Lee,New Jersey, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Instrument | Violin |
| Years active | 1999–present |
| Labels |
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| Children | 1 |
| Website | Official website |
Miri Ben-Ari (Hebrew:מירי בן-ארי; born(1978-12-04)4 December 1978) is anIsraeli–American violinist, record producer, music-tech entrepreneur, and humanitarian. As of 2025, she is the first and only violinist to win a Grammy in the Hip Hop category, known as "thehip-hopviolinist".[2]
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Ben-Ari was born and raised inTel Aviv District,[3]Israel. She grew up playing classical music;[4] she started training at age 5[5] and at age 12, she was presented with a violin byIsaac Stern.[6] During hermandatory military service, she served playing for theIsrael Defense Forces Orchestra (IDF's Orchestra).[7] During her stint in the Israeli military, she heard an album byCharlie Parker and immediately fell in love with jazz; she later said "My soul was sold."[8] Following her service, she moved from Israel to New York[9] in hopes of using her classical training on stage[4] and attended the Jazz department atThe New School, but was expelled after two semesters due to poor attendance caused by Ben-Ari playing gigs to pay the rent.[6][8]
She released her first solo CD,Sahara, in 1999.[10]
Her persistence earned her an appearance onBET's106 & Park; the viewer response netted her a return visit a few weeks later. Her performances caught the eye ofJay-Z, who invited her to play as one of the headliners of New York radio station Hot 97's annual Summer Jam concert in 2001, where she netted a standing ovation.[6][7] Around the same time, a mutual friend introduced Ben-Ari toWyclef Jean, who invited her to perform with him at hisCarnegie Hall show, the first by a hip-hop artist at the venue.[11]
In 2003, she released her second CDTemple of Beautiful, and followed that up with a live CD the following year entitledLive at the Blue Note.[12]
She won aGrammy Award forBest Rap Song in 2005 as one of the co-writers ofKanye West's "Jesus Walks".[13] In 2005,Universal Music Group released her fourth CD and first to focus on hip-hop style, entitledThe Hip-Hop Violinist. As part of the promotion for it, she was part ofReebok's "I Am What I Am" global advertising campaign; Reebok was also part of the video for the first single from the CD, "We Gonna Win".[14][15]
In 2006, she co-founded Gedenk (Yiddish for "remember"), an organization dedicated to promoting education about theHolocaust in the United States.[5][16] That year she collaborated with the Bachata bandAventura (band) on the song José, released onKings of Bachata: Sold Out at Madison Square Garden.
In 2007, she received the International Jewish Woman To Watch of 2007 Award and in 2008 she received the "2008 Israel Film Festival Visionary Award," "The Jewish Federation" award and "the American Society for Yad Vashem" Award.[17]
In 2009, she releasedSymphony of Brotherhood, an instrumental track featuringMartin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech. In part due to the song, she received the first Martin Luther King Jr. Israeli Award in January 2008 at a ceremony hosted by thePresident of Israel,Shimon Peres.[18]
In March 2011, Ben-Ari was invited to the White House byMichelle Obama as part of a Women's History Month celebration,[5] to perform and to be honored as a "remarkable Woman". In July 2011 she performed at the 2011Miss Universe China pageant.[3] and in October 2011 she performed at theMartin Luther King Jr. Presidential memorial dedication in Washington, DC.
In 2011, she was named byYnet as one of the 10 most influential Israelis in America.[19]
In 2012, Ben-Ari was invited to perform for U.S. PresidentBarack Obama.[20]
In 2013, she was appointed as "Goodwill Ambassador of Music" at theUnited Nations Association-Brazil.
In 2013, she was featured in thetrance songIntense by DJ and producerArmin Van Buuren. The track was the title track of Van Buuren's albumIntense and was chosen as the "Tune of the Year" of 2013 byA State Of Trance
Miri Ben-Ari is signed with theHarman Kardon brand as a Beautiful Sound artist to be featured globally in advertisements and in special appearances as an ambassador for the Harman Kardon "Beautiful Sound" brand campaign.
In 2014, she was honored with the "Aviv Award" by TheAmerica-Israel Cultural Foundation 75th Anniversary Gala atLincoln Center for the Performing Arts, hosted byItzhak Perlman and introduced by Jersey City MayorSteven Fulop and CEO of Harman InternationalDinesh Paliwal.Ben-Ari was a special guest feature with Arianna Huffingtons THIRD METRIC LIVE and Armin Van Buuren ARMIN ONLY-INTENSE world tour. She became a featured blogger for the Huffington and was chosen by top Israeli news media Mako andYnet as one of the top ten most influential Israelis now living in the United States.
Following the great success of its first year, Ben-Ari continues to promote "The Gedenk Award For Tolerance" campaign in 2015, now in its second year partnership withAlliance for Young Artists & Writers sponsored by Ben-Ari's non-profit organizationGEDENK. Ben-Ari received the first-ever "Girl Up Advocate Award" to celebrate international Women's Day from theUnited Nations Foundation and is the recipient of the 2015Ellis Island Medal of Honor.[21]
A longtime resident ofBergen County, New Jersey, Ben-Ari moved fromEdgewater toFort Lee in 2016.[22]
In 2018, she released the single "Quiet Storm". Ben-Ari was featured by Tanzanian recording artistDiamond Platnumz on the song "Baila". The song won in 2019 "Best Collaboration Award" by African Entertainment Awards USA.
In 2019, Ben-Ari produced and released a single "Watcha Gonna Do" featuring her son Dorel. That year she started collaborating with Nigerian producer Young D. "The Beat Boss" for the project "Afrostringz'. The duo released a holiday song "Afro Christmas".[check quotation syntax]In 2020 Ben-Ari and her music partner Young D. launched the music group "Afrostringz" with a first single and music video "She Don't Know". Ben-Ari was appointed by NJ GovernorPhil Murphy as a member of the New Jersey-Israel commission. In 2021 Ben-Ari became a TED speaker delivering TED talks dedicated to creativity and entrepreneurship "How to make the violin cool" and harmony & diversity "4 ways to strive with harmony]".
In 2022, Ben-Ari released the song "Symphony of Brotherhood Rise" with superstar rapperFlo Rida and Erik E. "Smooth" Hicks, featuring Dr.Martin King Jr with the iconic speech "I have a dream", a special release for Dr.Martin Luther King Day. The song entered the official Spotify MLK playlist.
In 2023, Miri Ben-Ari produced a special concert for Black History Month, hosted by the New Jersey-Israel Commission to GovernorPhil Murphy andCOGIC (Church of God in Christ) and attended by government officials and community leaders, including NJ Secretary of StateTahesha Way, former U.S. Senator-NJ GovernorJon Corzine, Newark MayorRas Baraka, Rabbis, and Bishops.
Ben-Ari was invited as the headline performer at The "110 First Lady's Luncheon," honoring The First Lady Dr.Jill Biden.
In 2024, Miri Ben-Ari launched a music education program for high school students in New York called Symphony of Brotherhood, opening Black History Month attended by NYC MayorEric Adams. In 2025, she expanded the program to New Jersey, launching it in partnership with the City of Newark Board of Education and NJ Lieutenant Governor Tahesha Way to open Black History Month.
In 2025, Miri Ben-Ari released the Amapiano song "Finally" with Tanzanian artistHarmonize.On June 22, 2025, Miri Ben-Ari made history becoming the first recording artist to headline the Game 72025 NBA Finals halftime performance between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers.
| Year | Single | Chart positions | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Hot 100 | U.S. R&B | U.S. R&B Singles Sales | U.S. Singles Sales | |||
| 2005 | "Run This City"(Clinton Sparks feat.P. Diddy & Miri Ben-Ari) | — | 107 | — | — | The Pulling Strings Mixtape |
| "Sunshine to the Rain"(feat.Scarface andAnthony Hamilton) | — | 39 | — | — | The Hip-Hop Violinist | |
| "We Gonna Win"(feat.Styles P) | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006 | "Symphony of Brotherhood" | — | 77 | 2 | 15 | — |
[check quotation syntax]*Wyclef Jean Feat.M.O.P. - Masquerade(Masquerade) 2002
| Year | Award | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Grammy Award for Song of the Year | "Jesus Walks" | Nominated | [23] |
| Grammy Award for Best Rap Song | Won |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |
