Circle of Samāʿ

A double bill of vocalist Hamid Al-Saadi and the revered Iraqi Maqam tradition, and trumpeter, composer, santur player, and vocalist Amir ElSaffar’s New Quartet. The performance presents the first two records on ElSaffar’s newly established label, Maqām Records, which highlights music based on the maqam modal tradition of Iraq and the larger Middle East, and is dedicated to bringing both historical and contemporary maqam music to global audiences.

Vocalist Hamid Al-Saadi performs the revered Iraqi Maqam tradition, accompanied by Safaafir, playing traditional instruments of the Chalghi Baghdadi. Al-Saadi (b.1958, Iraq), is the only living singer who has mastered the entire Iraqi Maqam repertoire. Inscribed on UNESCO’s Intangible Heritage list, the Iraqi Maqam is a repertoire of long-form compositions of sung poetry that has been passed down orally for generations. Al-Saadi’s Maqam Al-Iraq (Maqām) is the first Iraqi Maqam release by any artist in over a decade.

Amir ElSaffar’s New Quartet is a meeting between ElSaffar’s longstanding collaborators, Tomas Fujiwara and Ole Mathisen, and Greek pianist Tania Giannouli (U.S. Premiere). The four musicians came together in 2023 in one of Europe’s best sounding halls, the Pierre Boulez Saal in Berlin. The magic and intuitive ease between the musicians was riveting and powerful, bringing ElSaffar’s unique microtonal compositions to new heights. The recording of that performance will be released on Maqām Records in November 2025. Giannouli, who plays a microtonal piano in the quartet, is one of Europe’s fastest rising stars, performing at all the major jazz festivals and concert halls. This concert marks her first time taking the stage in the U.S., as well as the group’s U.S. premiere.