Negar Dena Afazel is a dedicated violinist, teaching artist, and advocate for social change who views music as a vessel for testimony and a catalyst for collective healing. She holds a Doctorate of Musical Arts in Violin Performance from the Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University (2024). Her commitment to community engagement and artistic growth has been recognized through the Kalamazoo Artistic Development Initiative (KADI) Award, as well as the prestigious Presser Music Award, the Arkady Fomin Scholarship, and the Artistic Excellence Scholarship from Peabody Conservatory.

A versatile soloist and chamber musician, Negar has performed extensively across the United States, Europe, and West Asia. She is a champion of contemporary voices, frequently collaborating with composers to bring new narratives to life. This commitment to interdisciplinary authorship is highlighted by her 2024 premiere of Woman, Life, Freedom—a visceral work for solo violin and choir—and her ongoing development of immersive performance projects like Her Story, which explores postcolonial memory through live violin and piano music, and archival soundscapes. Her festival presence includes the Ad Astra Music Festival, Electronic Music Midwest, and the SPLICE Festival. A former Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra Artist Scholar, she was also a winner of the Irving S. Gilmore School of Music Concerto Competition for her performance of the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto.

With over a decade of experience, Negar is a passionate teaching artist dedicated to fostering inclusive, welcoming learning environments. She is the Founder and Director of the Kalamazoo Violin Choir (KVC), a community-driven ensemble that integrates cultural awareness, storytelling, and visual arts to bring a "new color" to young people’s performances. Beyond the stage, she has presented original research, such as "Music and Its Mundus Imaginalis" at the Peabody Musicology Symposium, and has served as a panelist for the El Sistema USA National Symposium, where she led discussions on inclusive curriculum design for the Teaching Artists Training Institute (TATI).

When she is not spending time with her violin, Negar finds inspiration in the quiet rhythms of daily life and the exploration of diverse cultural landscapes. A lifelong linguist, she is deeply interested in the architecture of language and the nuances of translation; she finds immense joy in reading literature and historical texts in their original languages—finding the "vibrant silence" between words in Persian, English, German, and French.

Beyond her musical pursuits, Negar is an avid baker, reader, and crafter, and finds peace in tending to her indoor garden. She also enjoys writing little stories for her future project ideas. A dedicated pilates and running enthusiast, she believes in the vital connection between physical discipline and creative stamina.