Elana Sasson

Elana Sasson is a vocalist, composer, and bandleader creating music at the intersection of Kurdish and Persian traditions, contemporary jazz, and Mediterranean folkloric influences. She explores themes of identity and duality: weaving emotive modal melodies, intricate harmonic textures, and diverse instrumentation to dialogue between tradition and modernity. Shaped by years of training with master musicians from Iran and Kurdistan and studies at the Berklee College of Music, Elana’s clear voice reflects a fusion of rich tradition and personal expression. Her music has been celebrated with nods from global press such as Songlines Magazine, who described her voice as “an arrestingly beautiful focus” and gave a 4 star review to the album ‘Golestan’. Her upcoming album, ’in between’ is set for release with PKMusik in April 2025. Elana’s voice can be heard on Growing Songs, a 2024 album produced by esteemed Iranian vocalist Mahsa Vahdat, and her music was featured in the 2023 Venice Biennale-premiered film Tatami. She has collaborated with renowned musicians such as Matthieu Saglio, Mahsa Vahdat, and Perico Sambeat, and performed at prestigious venues such as Palau de Les Arts Reina Sofia (Valencia), Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (San Francisco), Fabrica Research Centre (Italy) and Sony Theatre (Madrid).