María Grand

Born in Switzerland in 1992 to a Swiss mother and Argentinian father, Grand moved to New York in 2011 and became a mentee of greats such as Billy Harper, Antoine Roney, Von Freeman, Doug Hammond and Steve Coleman. She has become an important member of the city’s creative music scene, performing extensively in projects led by or including musicians such as Nicole Mitchell, Vijay Iyer, Craig Taborn, Mary Halvorson, Rajna Swaminathan, Jen Shyu and Fay Victor. Her album ​Magdalena​ was named #6 Top Jazz Album of 2018 by Billboard​. She was also named Best New Artist of 2018 in the ​JazzTimes​ Readers Poll and Best Newcomer Musician in the 11th Annual El Intruso Critics Poll. According to ​JazzTimes​, Grand “uses her tenor saxophone like a truth-illuminating candle, her haunting lines exploring every crevice of her equally somber and arresting compositions.”