Pine Plains, N.Y. — The Amir ElSaffar New Quartet appears in concert at the Stissing Center in Pine Plains on Sunday, March 8, at 3 p.m. The quartet comprises the following musicians:
- Amir ElSaffar, trumpet
- Tomas Fujiwara, drums
- Tania Giannouli, microtonal piano
- Ole Mathisen, tenor saxophone
Writing for PopMatters, Chris Ingalls wrote, “Amir ElSaffar’s New Quartet have pulled off the trick of creating something that moves and sounds like jazz, but with a much deeper resonance. By incorporating the microtonal tunings of Maqam, the musical parameters are widened considerably, resulting in a rich and rewarding experience.”
Amir ElSaffar is an American composer, trumpeter, santur player, vocalist, and bandleader whose work connects jazz with Arabic music traditions. The New York Times has described him as a musician who explores important links between these styles. ElSaffar has received major honors, including the Doris Duke Performing Artist Award, a United States Artists Fellowship, and a Hodder Fellowship at Princeton University.
He leads several ensembles that combine Western and Middle Eastern instruments and musical ideas, ranging from small groups to large orchestras, and has released multiple recordings and toured internationally. ElSaffar has also collaborated with many well-known jazz musicians, including Cecil Taylor and Archie Shepp.
Tomas Fujiwara is an American drummer, composer, and bandleader known for his work in jazz and experimental music.
Based in New York, Fujiwara is a longtime member of the cooperative group The Thumbscrew and has performed with artists including Anthony Braxton, Mary Halvorson, and John Zorn. He also leads the Tomas Fujiwara Trio and is known for a precise, dynamic playing style and a strong interest in collective improvisation.
Tania Giannouli is a Greek pianist, composer, and improviser whose work moves between jazz, contemporary classical music, and free improvisation.
Based in Athens, she has performed widely in Europe and the United States and has collaborated with artists across genres, including musicians in jazz, experimental, and chamber settings. Giannouli leads her own ensembles and has released several recordings as a composer and bandleader, often exploring texture, space, and lyrical abstraction in her music.
Ole Mathisen is a Norwegian-born saxophonist, composer, and bandleader known for work that blends jazz, improvisation, and contemporary classical music.
Based in New York, Mathisen has performed with a wide range of artists and ensembles, including Anthony Braxton, Paul Motian, Marilyn Crispell, and John Zorn. He leads his own projects, such as the Ole Mathisen Quintet and Large Ensemble, and is known for compositions that combine structured writing with open improvisation.
Clarion Artistic Director and violinist Melissa White says, “More than five years ago, Clarion found a way to provide music to a community exhausted by the pandemic and confined to their homes—we streamed two of our concerts. One of these streams featured a performance by Amir ElSaffar and a group including the world’s greatest singer of the Iraqi Maqam tradition, Hamid AlSaadi. To our surprise and delight, this streamed concert garnered the largest audience ever recorded for Clarion Concerts, and we were eager to bring Amir back. We’re delighted to be presenting him once again, and this time in a totally new context, a jazz quartet!”
Founded in 1957, Clarion Concerts presents chamber music performances in New York’s Hudson Valley. In addition to established works, the nonprofit organization commissions and performs new music by contemporary composers. Clarion places a particular emphasis on chamber music by Black composers and performances by Black musicians, and it supports young audiences through concerts and educational programs designed to build understanding and appreciation of chamber music.
The Stissing Center is located at 2950 Church Street in Pine Plains, N.Y. For tickets, call (518) 771-3339.
On Saturday, March 7, at 6 p.m., the night before the Stissing Center concert, The Spark of Hudson will present Amir ElSaffar in a free, informal one-hour meet-and-greet event where Amir will talk about his music, his influences, and his personal journey. The Spark of Hudson is located at 502 Union Street, Hudson, N.Y.
