Ming Mei Residency Concert: Amir ElSaffar’s next Boston-area show is October 1, 2026 at Harvard University.
Amir ElSaffar is an Iraqi-American trumpeter, santur player, singer and composer who fuses the maqam traditions of Iraq with jazz improvisation. A Doris Duke Artist and leader of the Rivers of Sound orchestra, he developed a microtonal trumpet technique to play maqam pitches and has worked with Cecil Taylor, Vijay Iyer and Rudresh Mahanthappa.