LAYALE CHAKER AND SARAFAND
Arabic Jazz Fusion
Wed. July 30 // 7:00-8:30pm // Kimball Hall, UNL Glenn Korff School of Music
Back for her fourth Crossroads appearance, Layale Chaker brings her acclaimed ensemble Sarafand to perform their evocative new release, Radio Afloat. We are grateful to partner with University of Nebraska–Lincoln's Glenn Korff School of Music as they unveil the newly-revitalized Kimball Hall, exploiting its state-of-the-art acoustics and technical wizardry with Chaker’s rich, distinct musical language.
Blending Arabic microtonality, jazz, and contemporary classical, Chaker’s music reflects on the tides of identity, power, and the natural world, "cherry-picking from cool contemporary classical, simmering jazz, ear-tweaking Arabic microtonality, and gently probing improvisation” – The Strad.
RSVP HERE!
Co-presented by:
Featuring:
Aisslinn Nosky
Aisslinn Nosky returns to Nebraska Crossroads in 2026 as a featured soloist in the award-winning La Folia Global Project
Amado Espinoza
Bolivian multi-instrumentalist Amado Espinoza joins Crossroads for his debut appearance in a collaboration with Nebraska’s own Oscar Rios
Emmanuel Hovhannisyan
World renowned Duduk virtuoso Emmanuel Hovhannisyan returns to the Crossroads Music Festival for his third appearance.
Gabe Shuford
Harpsichordist Gabe Shuford joins the La Folia Global Project in his Crossroads Debut during the 2026 Festival.
Gunner Jules
Rosebud Sioux Hip Hop artist Gunner Jules returns to Crossroads in 2026 as part of the Dream Warriors residency and performances.
Jake Charkey
Jake Charkey brings his groundbreaking fusion of Hindustani and Western cello traditions to Crossroads for the first time, both with Sarafand and in a solo
John Hadfield
John Hadfield, a Missouri-born composer and percussionist now based in France, returns to Crossroads for his fifth season, bringing a boundary-blurring musical vision shaped by
Karen Becker
Karen Becker joins the Nebraska Crossroads Festival Orchestra for a second year, highlighting the fruitful collaboration between local and visiting artists.
Layale Chaker
Celebrated violinist and composer Layale Chaker returns to Crossroads for her fourth appearance, bringing her genre-defying artistry and global acclaim to the 2025 festival stage.
Layale Chaker & Sarafand
Making their Crossroads debut, Sarafand brings the genre-defying music of composer-violinist Layale Chaker to the stage—blending jazz, Arabic maqam, and contemporary classical in a sound
Mic Jordan
Mic Jordan returns to Crossroads as part of the multi-year Dream Warriors Project, a collaboration with the Indigenous Hip-Hop collective, Dream Warriors
Mixed Harmony
The original Cuban band Mixed Harmony returns to Crossroads for a third appearance.
Rajib Karmakar
Sitar virtuoso Rajib Karmakar returns to Crossroads for a second appearance with Tabla master Sandeep Das during the 2026 festival.
Sandeep Das
Sandeep Das returns for his third Crossroads appearance with his virtuosic and multi-faceted music-making.
Tall Paul
Anishinaabe rapper Tall Paul returns to Crossroads for another recording residency & performance with the Festival’s Dream Warriors Project.
TONE
Minnesota MC TONE returns to Crossroads for another recording residency and performance with the Dream Warriors Project
Valeri Tolstov
Valeri Tolstov returns as a guest composer to for the 2026 Nebraska Crossroads Music Festival with works featured in multiple festival performances.