Jiryis Murkus Ballan/James Ilgenfritz duo

Jiryis Murkus Ballan & James Ilgenfritz duo:

Jiryis Murkus Ballan is a Palestinian composer and buzuq player from Nazareth in the Galilee region. With a Ph.D. in Integrated Composition, Improvisation, and Technology (ICIT) from the University of California, Irvine, Jiryis’s work explores the dynamic intersections between traditional Levantine music and contemporary sound manipulation. His compositions often engage dancers, integrating sound design, motion sensors, and electroacoustic compositions. Jiryis has bridged cultural divides through transcultural music projects such as the Caravan Orchestra and project, and Tijwal ensemble.

Composer and bassist James Ilgenfritz is recognized in the New Yorker for his “characteristic magnanimity” and his “invaluable contributions to New York’s new-music community." His 2019 album You Scream A Rapid Language collects recent chamber works, and features Pauline Kim Harris, Conrad Harris, William Winant, Thomas Buckner, Kathleen Supové, Margaret Lancaster, and Joseph Kubera, and was noted in The Wire for its "glint of mischief"…