Dan Kurfirst + Josh Geisler

Spiral Music presents acoustic music every Wednesday evening at the base of the Museum’s spiral staircase. Artists who specialize in music from the Himalayas and South Asia are invited to forge a connection between their music and the art in the galleries.

About the Musicians

Dan Kurfirst is a New York City-based percussionist, composer, and improviser. Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, his music reflects his upbringing among people from all corners of the world. His music incorporates aspects of Middle Eastern, West African, and Indian music while being clearly rooted in jazz and hip-hop.

Kurfist began traveling to Istanbul, Turkey, in 2009 to immerse himself in Middle Eastern music. He has studied under the master drummers Shane Shanahan, Nasheet Waits, and Tariq Snare in addition to an immersive period of study with Hakan Kaya and other local musicians in Istanbul. Dan currently leads the trio Subtle Realms, featuring Ben Cohen and Will McEvoy. He regularly performs with top musicians in NYC’s “world jazz” scene, including Tomchess, Brian Prunka, Gabriel Marin, Matt Darriau, Brandon Terzic, and Kane Maths. He serves as creative director of the American Sufi Project.

Joshua Geisler plays the Bansuri, the North Indian Bamboo Flute, with a flowing, highly ornamented style that weaves together Indian Classical Music and Jazz. By embracing the concept of hybridization, Joshua Geisler has innovated both the playing technique and construction of his instrument. A graduate of Berklee College of Music, Joshua has also made multiple trips to India to study with the late bansuri legend Pandit Raghunath Seth and sarod maestro Pandit Vikash Maharaj. He recently returned to NYC from 6 years on tour with Cirque du Soleil’s, “TOTEM”, where he performed over 1,950 shows around the world.