Mehmet Dede

Mehmet Dede is an internationally recognized, award-winning music curator, festival producer, and tour promoter with 20 years of experience in the culture space. He was called the Ambassador of World Music by PollStar Magazine. Dede has produced concerts and event series in collaboration with Lincoln Center, Central Park Summerstage, the Kennedy Center, and many more. Since 2010, he serves as director of programming at the Manhattan club Drom, “New York’s premiere venue for world music” (Wall Street Journal). He is also the curator of the annual grassroots festival NY Gypsy Festival. Previously, he worked at concert promoter Giant Step and Universal Music Group. Dede collaborates with world-class international artists to introduce them to US audiences, through showcases and nationwide tours, while his consulting expertise is sought by cultural organizations in France, Hungary, England, Poland, and Romania.

Dede is the author of Make It Live: The Handbook for Getting Gigs and coaches artists on strategies for marketing and booking live concerts. His bylines appear in Rolling Stone, PollStar, and International Arts Manager. A fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in London and a professional member of the Recording Academy, Dede is the recipient of the 2021 globalFEST Impact Award for his curatorial work. He was profiled in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and featured on PBS, Crain’s New York Business, and Voice of America.