Mehmet Dede is an art presenter, tour producer and educator. Throughout a career spanning 20 years, he has produced hundreds of concerts and event series, contributing to international music’s growing presence in the US and helped develop a nationwide audience for it. Fueled by NY’s energy and its diverse communities, his passion for introducing and breaking new artists lead him to collaborations with seminal American institutions like Lincoln Center, Central Park SummerStage, and the Kennedy Center in DC.
Dede currently serves as Director of Programming at downtown music venue Drom, a 300 peoplecapacity club that he was brought on to relaunch in 2010. His curatorial vision established the venue as a key player in the international circuit and NY nightlife, shaping the club into a dynamic and prestigious platform to showcase emerging talent (Wall St. Journal proclaimed Drom as “New York’s premiere venue for world music.”). An eclectic array of artists from Grammywinners Robert Glasper, Snarky Puppy, ?uestlove, Gregory Porter and Hilary Hahn to esteemed performers Rakim, J Cole, Austin Mahone, Olly Murs, QTip graced the Drom stage.
As cofounder and curator of the NY Gypsy Festival, Dede is responsible for the overall vision and reputation of this unique festival. Since 2005, his experience in global music programming has facilitated a meaningful presence for foreign artists in the US through regional and national tours, while his consulting expertise is often sought out by cultural organizations in France, Hungary, England, Poland and Romania.
Before starting up his business, Dede spent seven years in branding, marketing and event production at creative agency Giant Step. During this time he worked on concerts and marketing campaigns for Jamiroquai, Amy Winehouse, The Roots, Norah Jones, Jill Scott, Nelly Furtado, Mark Ronson, and collaborating with highprofile partners Universal, Warner Bros, Epic and EMI. His activations experience includes works with LG, Evian, Stussy and Levi’s innovative Miles Ahead series to sponsored, as well as sponsored events with Heineken and Red Bull.
Prior to moving to New York, he worked at Universal Music Group and a Top 40 radio station based in Istanbul.
When not on tour or in the audience, Dede nurtures the next wave of industry leaders in the classroom. As Adjunct Faculty at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, he teaches on concert management, curation and touring. He also regularly conducts workshops for artists and managers abroad.
A 17year New York resident, Dede is a member of NY Music & Festival Presenters, the North American Presenters Network and MEIEA. He serves as public speaker, panelist and jury member at local and international conferences including APAP, California Presenters, CMJ, and WOMEX. He was profiled in The Wall Street Journal and interviewed by Voice of America, Al Jazeera and WNYC. Mehmet Dede holds an M.A. in Music Business with honors from New York University.