Ambrose Akinmusire (b. 1982) grew up in Oakland, California, and began his professional music journey under the guidance of Steve Coleman, who discovered him as a teenager while he was a member of the Berkeley High School Jazz Ensemble. Coleman later invited him to join his group, Five Elements. At this stage, Akinmusire moved to New York City, where he attended the prestigious Manhattan School of Music and, years later, began his first collaborations with key musicians of the emerging jazz generation in the early 2000s, including Vijay Iyer, Aaron Parks, and Jason Moran. Since then, this gifted trumpeter and composer has developed a highly relevant body of work as a leader and a prolific career as a collaborator with many prominent figures in contemporary music, working alongside renowned jazz artists like Jack DeJohnette and Brad Mehldau, as well as musicians from other musical backgrounds, such as American rapper Kendrick Lamar and, more recently, composer Dhafer Youssef. In recent years, Akinmusire’s work has shown, according to himself, a shift towards a more narrative paradigm, rather than the conceptual approach of the past, although the core of his musical expression remains within the flexible coordinates of post-bop with avant-garde angles.

The Mivos String Quartet is an ensemble founded in 2008, composed of violinists Olivia De Prato and Maya Bernardo, violist Victor Lowrie Tafoya, and cellist Nathan Watts. They are dedicated to interpreting works by contemporary composers. Throughout their existence, the ensemble has engaged in collaborations with guest artists and ventured into multimedia and improvisational music projects, having included contributions from musicians such as Cécile McLorin Salvant, Nate Wooley, and Ambrose Akinmusire.

Kokayi is an artist, author, vocalist, producer, performer, musician, and educator—a multifaceted creator whose journey has been defined by the intersection of languages, contexts, and cultures. In strictly musical terms, Kokayi develops work both under his own name and in collaboration with other musicians and musical formations, such as Terri Lynne Carrington + Social Science and Ego Mondo.

Chiquita Magic is a Colombian artist and music producer currently based in Toronto. Her aesthetic merges avant-garde dance music with the prevailing tropical jazz currents of the contemporary North American pop scene. Throughout her artistic journey, Chiquita Magic has collaborated with a diverse range of musicians, including Genevieve Artadi, Louis Cole, and John Hollenbeck, among others.

Originally from California, Justin Brown is one of the most sought-after drummers of his generation and a frequent collaborator with several prominent names in contemporary jazz, such as Esperanza Spalding, Walter Smith III, and Vijay Iyer. In parallel with his collaborative work, Brown also pursues a solo career, having released an album as a leader (Nyeusi, 2018) that revealed to the public a composer interested in the disruption of musical genres.