ARKAI Writes an Original Song Inspired From New York City’s Small Business Owners’ Efforts During COVID Posted on June 15, 2026June 29, 2026 ARKAI is a Grammy Award-winning, genre-defying electroacoustic string duo based in New York City. The duo comprises violinist Jonathan Miron and cellist Philip Sheegog. Both are Juilliard graduates who first met not in a classroom but in an impromptu jam session at a 2018 school event. Over the next hour, two musicians who had grown up on different coasts and at times on different continents discovered a shared language. That spontaneous session became the foundation of a seven-year creative partnership in which the two handle everything: writing, producing, mixing, and every visual element of their work. Their sound defies easy categorization: cinematic, electrifying, and deeply human. “It wasn’t in some genre, it was our genre,” Jonathan reflects. Their name comes from the Greek word for “leaders,” chosen to capture the energy of venturing into uncharted waters. They have performed at Carnegie Hall, the Grammy Museum, the Emmy Awards, and a Lakers playoff game, and released a virtual TED Talk that reached 30,000 viewers. Rise Up by ARKAI ARKAI composed an original song from inspiration they got from New York City’s small business owners’ heroic efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their sound defies easy categorization: cinematic, electrifying, and deeply human. “It wasn’t in some genre, it was our genre,” Jonathan reflects. Their name comes from the Greek word for “leaders,” chosen to capture the energy of venturing into uncharted waters. They have performed at Carnegie Hall, the Grammy Museum, the Emmy Awards, and a Lakers playoff game, and released a virtual TED Talk that reached 30,000 viewers. Silver Lining commissioned this work from ARKAI as part of the small.artists series, supported by Spotify Advertising. ARKAI is currently touring in support of Brightside and performing their live show, which they describe as “the IMAX experience” for audiences worldwide. Link Instagram Facebook YouTube TikTok Spotify Latest Stories