Mana Pouresmaeil

Mana Pouresmaeil is a Ph.D. student in Ethnomusicology at The University of Texas at Austin. She received her master’s degree in the same field from the University of Tehran and holds a bachelor’s degree in Iranian Instrumental Performance. Her primary instrument is the Tombak, a traditional Iranian percussion instrument she has played since childhood. Currently, she is a member of the Bereket Ensemble at Butler School of Music. Mana's research has focused on the morphological and social transformations of the Tombak from the Qajar era to the present. Two of her articles on this topic have been published in a scholarly book in Iran. She is also deeply interested in women's and gender studies, with her current research exploring the impact of Iranian women musicians on social movements. Mana acts as the Assistant Director of the Bereket Ensemble and works as a Research Assistant in the University of Texas archives.