Connecting The World Through Music
By Michelle Vasquez | Photography by David Teran
Suhail Arastu is Director of Advancement at Musical Bridges Around the World, a nonprofit that celebrates global arts and fosters cultural understanding through free programs. With a background in neuroscience, classical studies, nonprofit work, and the arts, Arastu brings a global perspective to his role.
Arastu’s work is rooted in the belief that the arts are transformative. He is an advocate for making high-quality arts experiences available to everyone. “San Antonio deserves the best of the best, and everyone deserves access to that,” he says. “I’ve always believed that the arts are one of the most powerful ways to connect people across differences. Music lets us speak without words; it reaches something deeper.”
Arastu attended UC Berkeley, where he double-majored in classics and neurobiology while competing on the university’s nationally ranked gymnastics team. His time with international teammates deepened his appreciation for global cultures, from Norway and the Ukraine to China.
After graduation, he moved to a remote fishing village in northwest Japan for a period of reflection and self-discovery. “It was like my year at Walden Pond. I wanted to get away from anyone and anything I knew. I did a lot of deep-sea fishing, hiking, skiing, and just reflecting. It gave me time to listen to nature, to silence, to myself.”
His time in Japan led to a role with a nongovernmental organization under the United Nations Economic and Social Council, based in Tokyo. The work took him around the globe twice, using dance, music, and gymnastics to help at-risk youth find purpose and community. “We worked with kids to get them off the streets, away from drugs and weapons, through dance, music, and gymnastics. The arts became a way to bring people back to themselves.”
His awareness of the physicality and lyricism of movement and music has always shaped his worldview. “There’s something very special about music. We’re limited in our words. But music, dance, and visual art can express what words can’t. That’s a very powerful thing,” he explains. Whether through music or motion, he believes the arts can be tools for healing and societal transformation.
His journey to Musical Bridges began in 2010 when he organized a piano recital for a visiting friend from Japan. The overwhelming response caught the attention of Musical Bridges’ founder, Anya Grokhovski, who invited him to join the board. He later became Vice Chair and eventually stepped into a staff role to help lead the organization’s growth. Now, over 15 years later, he continues to guide the organization’s growth and impact through a wide network of relationships he’s cultivated.
Founded in 1998 by Anya Grokhovski, Musical Bridges began as a series of house concerts and has since evolved into a robust organization offering concerts, education, and outreach. Some programming includes UnityFest, which brings together artists from historically conflicted regions to promote peace through collaboration, and Musical Sprouts, a school program that teaches STEM, history, and geography through global music and culture.
A passionate traveler and arts advocate, Arastu serves on civic and cultural boards, including the San Antonio Arts Commission. He educates city and corporate leaders about why the arts are essential to a vibrant, inclusive, and world-class city. “Arts are in our DNA, no matter where we come from,” he explains.
He credits strong female role models, including his mother and Anya Grokhovski, for shaping his leadership. Outside of work, he enjoys photography, travel, and, naturally, music.
For Arastu, Musical Bridges is more than a job. It’s a personal mission. His global experiences, artistic passion, and dedication to equity and community continue to make San Antonio a cultural hub where the arts unite and inspire. “If anyone ever wants to know what’s going on: restaurants, exhibits, concerts, I love sharing that information,” Arastu says. “One of my favorite things to do is help people discover what makes San Antonio special.”
One Response
I loved the article about Suhail Arastu. He is all that you said and much more. He is a unique person, far beyond this complex world, multitalented, and thorough in the tasks he undertakes. I wish there were a way to spread his worldview. Congratulations on writing about him in a woman’s magazine. All the best wishes to him and blessings.
Rajam Ramamurthy