Amir Elsaffar & The Two Rivers Ensemble Perform at Perelman Theater Tonight

The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts is proud to welcome Middle Eastern jazz sextet, Amir ElSaffar and The Two Rivers Ensemble to SEI Innovation Studio tonight, April 18 at 8 p.m. As part of the Kimmel Center's Jazz Appreciation Month programming, this innovative program is a world music jazz fusion of improvisation, exploring traditional Middle Eastern influences featuring the oud, buzuqand santur instruments.

ElSaffar's Philadelphia performance will feature music from ElSaffar's newest work, Crisis, originally commissioned by the Newport Jazz Festival in 2013, and scheduled for summer 2015 release. His music explores the jazz idiom from the unique vantage point of the maqam modal system. Deeply rooted in the classical musical forms of Iraq, Turkey, and Persia, the resultant sound is distinct from other contemporary cross-cultural musical fusions.

"We are proud to introduce Philadelphia to Amir ElSaffar's newest work at the Kimmel Center. We hope the local jazz community appreciates this program showcasing the boundless energy of jazz with global influences, and intercultural relations," adds Kimmel Center President and CEO Anne Ewers.

ElSaffar's Two Rivers, which debuted as an ensemble at Philadelphia's own The Painted Bride in 2006, is a powerful emotional journey through Iraq's glorious and at times tragic past and present. The ensemble is informed by Amir's personal struggle as well as his feelings as an Iraqi-American watching his father's homeland in turmoil and destruction.

The relationship with ElSaffar continues in 2016, when he returns to perform as part of the Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts (PIFA). ElSaffar is creating work for a 17-musician ensemble featuring traditional instruments from across North Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia, which allows for the emergence of new sonic textures and nuanced interaction between musicians.

ElSaffar is Music Curator at Alwan for the Arts, New York's hub for Arab and Middle Eastern culture, which hosts semi-monthly concerts and the annual Maqam Fest. In 2013, he collaborated with the Metropolitan Museum to create a festival of Iraqi culture. He also teaches maqam classes at Alwan, and is the director of the Middle Eastern Music Ensemble at Columbia University, where he also teaches jazz ensembles.

Tickets are available for $23 and can be purchased by calling 215-893-1999, online at kimmelcenter.org, at the Kimmel Center box office at Broad & Spruce Streets (open daily 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.).

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