Amir Elsaffar New Quartet at Solar Myth

Ars Nova Workshop presents the boundary-crossing trumpeter, santurist, vocalist and composer Amir ElSaffar with his New Quartet at Solar Myth on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.

Composer, trumpeter, santur player, vocalist, and bandleader Amir ElSaffar has been described in the New York Times as “the celebrated trumpeter and composer who explores vital connections between jazz and Arabic music.” ElSaffar leads a number of critically-acclaimed ensembles: The 17-piece Rivers of Sound Orchestra; Two Rivers, which combines the musical languages and instrumentation of Iraqi Maqam and contemporary jazz; the Amir ElSaffar Quintet, performing ElSaffar’s microtonal compositions with standard jazz instrumentation; Safaafir, the only ensemble in the US performing and preserving the Iraqi Maqam in its traditional format; and The Alwan Ensemble, specializing in classical music from Egypt, the Levant, and Iraq. In addition, he has worked with jazz legends Cecil Taylor and Archie Shepp, and prominent jazz musicians, Danilo Perez, Mark Dresser, Gerry Hemingway, Marc Ribot, Henry Grimes, and Oliver Lake....

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Ars Nova Workshop presents the boundary-crossing trumpeter, santurist, vocalist and composer Amir ElSaffar with his New Quartet at Solar Myth on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.

Composer, trumpeter, santur player, vocalist, and bandleader Amir ElSaffar has been described in the New York Times as “the celebrated trumpeter and composer who explores vital connections between jazz and Arabic music.” ElSaffar leads a number of critically-acclaimed ensembles: The 17-piece Rivers of Sound Orchestra; Two Rivers, which combines the musical languages and instrumentation of Iraqi Maqam and contemporary jazz; the Amir ElSaffar Quintet, performing ElSaffar’s microtonal compositions with standard jazz instrumentation; Safaafir, the only ensemble in the US performing and preserving the Iraqi Maqam in its traditional format; and The Alwan Ensemble, specializing in classical music from Egypt, the Levant, and Iraq. In addition, he has worked with jazz legends Cecil Taylor and Archie Shepp, and prominent jazz musicians, Danilo Perez, Mark Dresser, Gerry Hemingway, Marc Ribot, Henry Grimes, and Oliver Lake.

ElSaffar’s New Quartet brings together his trio – consisting of Tomas Fujiwara, one of NYC’s most in-demand and dynamic drummers, and Ole Mathisen, a tenor saxophonist of unparalleled technique and versatility – with Greek pianist Tania Giannouli, a rising star who has headlined almost every major jazz festival and venue in Europe over the past several years. ElSaffar’s nuanced and vibrant trumpet sound, rooted in Chicago school classical technique and combining subtle ornamentation and microtones of Arab Maqam with Jazz influences ranging from Miles to Woody Shaw, guides the ensemble into unexplored musical territories. Their music ranges from intensely quiet and nearly silent to ecstatic and declamatory, with the microtonal piano ringing ear-opening and beautifully unconventional harmonies throughout.

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