The Avant Jazz Workshop is truly honored to present renowned guitarist and composer James Emery. He will be joined by two other virtuosos, Alex Murzyn on woodwinds and John Funkhouser on bass. Tickets $20 at the door, advance tickets at Hold My Ticket

In the spring of 2022, Emery relocated to Santa Fe, NM, after nearly 50 in the New York area, marking a new chapter in his illustrious 45-year career of touring and recording worldwide. A Guggenheim Fellow, Emery has performed at some of the world's most prestigious concert venues, including Great Performers at Lincoln Center (NYC), The Menil Collection (Houston), Philharmonic Hall (Berlin), Royal Festival Hall (London), Espace Cardin (Paris), Bunkamura Hall (Tokyo), City Hall (Hong Kong), the Roman amphitheater at Carthage (Tunisia), and Chowdiah Memorial Hall (Bangalore, India).

As the co-founder of the pioneering chamber jazz ensemble The String Trio of New York, Emery has earned international acclaim for his innovative and highly original approach to both improvisation and composition. Since 1975, he has been an active performer and a frequently commissioned composer in the international jazz and contemporary music scene. With more than two dozen albums as a leader or co-leader and live performances spanning over 25 countries, Emery’s artistry has been described as "innovative and imaginative" and "utterly distinctive" by the Penguin Guide to Jazz. His orchestral recording, Transformations, was selected for The History of Jazz in the 1001 Best Albums by the same guide.

Emery’s ensembles and collaborations have earned him critical praise, especially for his work with The String Trio of New York, which celebrates its 48th anniversary in 2026. Throughout his career, he has performed and recorded with an array of contemporary music masters, including Anthony Braxton, Steve Reich, Wadada Leo Smith, Henry Threadgill, The Human Arts Ensemble, Joe Lovano, Muhal Richard Abrams, Leroy Jenkins, and many others.

To date, Emery has composed over 170 works, including a recent double concerto commissioned by the Skidmore College Orchestra. One of his proudest moments was performing the piece alongside his daughter, clarinetist Hannah Emery.
The recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, Emery has also been awarded grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts, The Cary Trust, the New York Foundation for the Arts, and Chamber Music America, among others. His music has been commissioned by prestigious programs, including Meet the Composer/Rockefeller/AT&T, Skidmore College, Between the Lines Records, Chamber Music America, and the MTC/Lila Wallace Jazz Program.

In addition to his performance career, Emery has contributed to music education through master classes and residencies at institutions such as Stanford, Columbia, Skidmore, Dartmouth, UCLA, and USC. He also taught jazz ensemble and private guitar lessons for eight years at SUNY/Orange in New York state.