BACH to BAKU

In spite of my classical background, I have always wanted to experience a non classical approach and the idea of improvisation and its possibilities has been occupying my mind for the past several years. I started to study Jazz and to improvise with friends during my Juilliard years in New York and I did fall in love with it! To me, it was a liberation and freedom of expression let alone, a lot of fun! Fascinated by the idea of fusion of Eastern and Western music, I started playing with Oud, and last year the project “BACH to BAKU” brought together myself, a British – Chinese clarinet player Ben Sellers, an Iraqi-British Oud player & percussionist Khyam Allami and an Azerbaijani Artist Mir Teymur. We presented our project first in London (in collaboration with Kristina Foya, Sheeze Tan and Elisabeth Cynthia Nott) and later on in my home town, Baku. Here are some pictures from our exciting time in Azerbaijan!