Results for "World Music"

Adriana Samargia

Adriana Samargia is an American jazz vocalist and arranger based in the Philadelphia region. Her work spans jazz standards, Brazilian repertoire, and contemporary fusion styles. She performs and records regularly with pianist and composer Robert Prester in the Prester & Samargia Quintet, along with drummer Gusten Rudolph, bassist Zachary Guise, and vocalist Mila Samargia. Their album Quenara (2024) features original compositions by Prester, influenced by jazz harmony, Afro-Brazilian rhythm, and chamber-style textures.

Samargia is also a founding member of The Parson Brown Singers, a vocal ensemble originally formed in Florida and later active in the Northeast. The group is known for its close-harmony arrangements that draw on classical vocal technique and jazz phrasing. She contributed vocals and arranging to First Snow, a holiday album associated with the ensemble.

Stefanos Athinaios

Born: May 24

Stefanos Athinaios is a Greek-born world percussionist, composer, and educator based in Boston, Massachusetts. With over 15 years of professional experience, he specializes in Middle-Eastern and Mediterranean percussion, blending diverse cultural traditions with electronic and drumset elements into innovative multi-percussion setups that span ethnic, jazz fusion, and world music.

A Berklee College of Music graduate, Stefanos has performed at festivals, jazz clubs, and with orchestras worldwide, and has contributed to over 200 recordings for artists, film, and television. His musical education has been enriched through studies with renowned musicians and masterclasses with leading artists, including Jamey Haddad, Simon Shaheen, Tigran Hamasyan, Ara Dinkjian, Dave DiCenso, and John Patitucci.

Aseo Friesacher

Born: June 5, 1996

Aseo Friesacher is a pianist and composer born in Vienna, Austria. Since an early age he was very interested in music and he was able to pick up melodies and rhythms easily. It was soon clear to him that a music career is the only thing he wants to pursue. Aseo started to play the piano at an age of 6. He was also member of the famous Vienna Boy’s Choir and got the chance to tour around the world and sing in big concert halls like the Carnegie Hall in New York or the Tokyo Opera City Hall.

At the age of fourteen Aseo found his love to jazz music by listening to songs of Oscar Peterson, Dave Brubeck and Didier Squiban. Eventually he formed his own jazz trio, became very active in the jazz scene and got the chance to perform in prestigious places such as the United Nations, Porgy & Bess in Vienna, as well as renowned venues in the Netherlands such as LantarenVenster and the Bimhuis. The half Japanese/Austrian talent has been awarded with multiple awards: 1st price of the Podium.Jazz Competition in Austria 2014, Finalist of the Leiden Jazz Award 2021 and 2nd prize at the Gexto Jazz Competition in 2022 with Loek van den Berg Quintet.

Ian Smit

Born: November 17, 1957

Ian Smit is a composer, guitar texturalist for Monkeyworks, e’fessioux, Rick Savage & Beyond Jazz, Sputnik 5, QWERT, Ping, and a bunch of unsuspecting singer/songwriters, still manages to not fall into a neatly packaged musical genre… And, that’s okay!

Grand Union Orchestra

About Grand Union Orchestra

Grand Union, the UK's original and most diverse world/jazz orchestra was established in 1984.  Grand Union  is the acknowledged pioneer and leading exponent of original, cross-cultural music making. It assembles musicians from virtually every part of the world to create and perform new work drawing on their own experience, culture and musical background.

In Britain today it is more important than ever to bring people of all ages and cultures together to create work that reflects and responds to our country's ever-widening demographic, creating unity and healing division.

Thierry DeJean

Stefan Lovin

Born: February 21, 1980

Stefan Lovin is a Romanian pianist and composer whose music lies at the crossroads of free improvisation, classical tradition, and folk roots. Trained in the European classical school, he gradually expanded his artistic language towards jazz improvisation and avant-garde experimentation, often drawing comparisons with Keith Jarrett’s lyrical freedom.

His work explores the dialogue between Romanian folk melodies and the contemplative spirit of modern jazz, creating soundscapes that are both intimate and expansive. Lovin frequently employs techniques such as prepared piano to broaden the instrument’s expressive palette.

Mohammadreza Ajdari

Born: January 17, 1990

MohammadReza Ajdari – Composer | Conductor | Global Music Visionary

MohammadReza Ajdari is an Iranian composer, conductor, and multi-instrumentalist known for his soulful blend of jazz, world music, and cinematic soundscapes. With a formal education in Global Music Performance from the University of Art in Tehran, Ajdari bridges Persian musical traditions with contemporary global genres.

His recent instrumental track "Els"—a deeply emotional composition performed on soprano saxophone—has earned international acclaim and was nominated for the 2025 Hollywood Independent Music Awards in the World Music category. Ajdari has also been recognized by the Hollywood Music in Media Awards, the Global Music Awards, and received top honors at the FM Contest for three consecutive years (2021–2023).

Sylvain Leroux

Born: May 4

Sylvain Leroux grew up in Montreal where he studied classical flute at Vincent d’Indy; and improvisation and composition in New York at the Creative Music Studio where he attended classes by luminaries Don Cherry, Anthony Braxton, the Art Ensemble of Chicago, and manymore. A pioneer of African Jazz, he is a foremost player of the Fula flute, the traditional flute from Guinea. As bandleader, he brought traditional West African music to Zankel Hall with his Fula Flute Ensemble. His 2002 CD “Fula Flute,” achieved cult status and stimulated worldwide interest

Toby Wren

Born: April 3, 1975

Toby Wren plays jazz guitar and writes music. He was trained at the QCMGU in composition and contemporary improvisation. He won the 1997 DIGF composers competition for his guitar piece 'nebbish' and was twice selected for the Australian Composers Orchestral Forum. He has been performed by most of Australia's orchestras, written arrangements for rock bands, given lectures on Australian music, written instructional materials and essays and recorded two CDs of original compositions. Toby also plays with the Trevor Hart Quartet.

UMLAUT, The Toby Wren Trio (due for release, July, 2006)FAT LIP 81, Babel (2000).