ABOUT

Serdar Ilhan is a cultural curator, music producer, and creative visionary whose work has shaped the global music scene in New York City and beyond. As the driving force behind Drom, one of NYC’s premier venues, he presents over 500 shows annually, collaborating with cultural offices from countries including Turkey, Israel, Spain, Romania, Hungary, France, Poland, Portugal, and France

Before founding Drom, Serdar built a reputation for creating vibrant cultural spaces with acclaimed establishments such as St. Marx Café and Maia Meyhane, where unforgettable nights of music, food, and community brought together artists and audiences from around the world.

A passionate champion of world music, he founded and managed the internationally celebrated NY Gypsy All-Stars for over a decade, taking them to stages across the globe. He is also the co-founder and producer of the New York Gypsy Festival (now in its 20th year) and the Istanbulive concert series, which ran for seven seasons in collaboration with Central Park SummerStage, Lincoln Center, and SXSW.

Over the past 25 years, Serdar has presented Turkish, Mediterranean, and global music at prestigious venues around United States as well as producing tours across the Canada for artists from around the world.

An award-winning Art Director, Serdar moved from his native Istanbul to the U.S. in 1989, holding an undergraduate degree in Graphic Design and a graduate degree in Photography. Today, he continues to merge his artistic vision with his deep passion for cultural exchange, building bridges between artists, audiences, and traditions across borders.

Among his most recent achievements is producing the RUMI SUITE project — a global music collaboration inspired by the timeless poetry and spiritual philosophy of Rumi. The work brings together celebrated musicians from diverse traditions to create a contemporary yet deeply rooted soundscape of peace, unity, and cultural dialogue. RUMI SUITE has been praised for its artistry and its mission of bridging cultures through music.