Voices Of The Past.
Hope For The Future.
Arn Chorn-Pond uses the power of music to rebuild identity, memory, and community.
Arn Chorn-Pond is a Cambodian-American musician, and human-rights advocate. Born in Battambang, Cambodia in 1966, Arn survived the Khmer Rouge genocide as a child by playing music. Today, he channels his past into a mission of healing and cultural revival through music, storytelling, and community building.
Arn founded Cambodian Living Arts in 1998 with five inaugural students to learn from Cambodia’s remaining master artists. The organization initially focused on the preservation of endangered performing art forms and rituals. After the Khmer Rouge regime, 90% of Cambodia’s artists did not survive and arts that had been transmitted between generations were in danger of being lost forever.
Over the past two decades, as Cambodia continues to develop and as Cambodia’s arts sector grows, Arn has helped evolve CLA’s work and mission. CLA now offers scholarships, fellowships, and other training opportunities; provides employment opportunities through regular performances and festivals; and facilitates international exchanges, research, and networking for the next generation of talented Cambodians looking to build careers as artists and arts professionals.
Learn More
