Shahzad Ismaily: Bitterness Is Not a Bridge
Tickets & Info
“Summarizing exactly what Ismaily does—let alone, how he’s so good at it—can feel a little like bottling wind.” —New York Times
Like water to seed or light to leaf, Shahzad Ismaily has long sustained the projects of others. Highly sought-after as a musical partner, the Pakistani American multi-instrumentalist now takes center stage. Ever the collectivist, Ismaily gathers a group of esteemed collaborators to help tend the soil. His South Asian jazz stylings mesh with Beth Orton’s American folk roots; his improvisatory genius dovetails with Nels Cline (Wilco)’s expansive guitar vision; his lyricism buoys Alan Sparhawk’s (Low) melody lines. For the first time in a long time, we witness the source become the fruit.
Featuring: Audrey Chen (vocals), Nels Cline (guitar), Dosh (keys, drums), Shahzad Ismaily (multiple instruments), Elizabeth Mitchell and Daniel Littleton as Ida (multiple instruments), yuniya edi kwon (violin, vocals), Beth Orton (guitar, vocals), Alan Sparhawk (guitar)
Conducted Improvisation with Shahzad Ismaily
Saturday, October 11, 1 pm
Lloyd Ultan Recital Hall, UMN School of Music
2106 4th St S, Minneapolis, MN 55455
Brooklyn-based Pakistani multi-instrumentalist Shahzad Ismaily conducts a force of improvising instrumentalists from the University of Minnesota School of Music and Walker|West Music Academy in a free Saturday matinee performance in Ultan Recital Hall. Named “one of music’s most coveted collaborators” by the New York Times, Ismaily will be developing the performance in a series of improvisation workshops as part of his weeklong residency at the Walker Art Center.
For more information about accessibility, visit our Access page.
For questions on accessibility or to request additional accommodations, call 612-375-7564 or email access@walkerart.org.
Program support provided by Sarah Lutman.
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Dates & Tickets
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Fri Oct 10, 2025
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