NYJO and Sam Eastmond Take John Zorn’s Masada on Tour.
Thursday, February 05, 2026
NYJO reunites with composer, arranger, and conductor Sam Eastmond to take a powerful new iteration of John Zorn’s Masada on a short UK tour in March 2026. Press release attached.
We have received the following information;
We are thrilled to announce that NYJO (National Youth Jazz Orchestra) reunites with composer, arranger, and conductor Sam Eastmond for a powerful new iteration of John Zorn’s Masada, touring the UK in Spring 2026.
Following acclaimed performances at Café Oto and the EFG London Jazz Festival, this evolved project brings Zorn’s fiercely alive music to audiences nationwide, including a landmark performance at the legendary Ronnie Scott’s on Mon 16 March. Expect tight, punchy horn lines, a relentlessly driving rhythm section, soaring solos, and the distinctive punk energy that defines Eastmond’s approach.
FULL PRESS RELEASE:
NYJO and Sam Eastmond Take John Zorn’s Masada on Tour
NYJO reunites with composer, arranger, and conductor Sam Eastmond to take a powerful new iteration of John Zorn’s Masada on tour in March 2026. The tour includes a
performance at the legendary Ronnie Scott’s, giving NYJO’s young musicians the opportunity to perform on one of the world’s most internationally renowned jazz stages.
Following the success of their first collaboration in 2021, when NYJO and Eastmond presented Masada across a double night bill at Cafe Oto, the project has continued to grow in profile and ambition. The work was later successfully brought to London as part of the EFG London Jazz Festival, NYJO is now proud to take this evolved project
out on tour to audiences across the UK. Audiences can expect tight, punchy horn lines, a relentlessly driving rhythm section, soaring solos, and the distinctive punk energy that defines Sam Eastmond’s musical voice. Zorn’s compositions are treated as living, communal music that is urgent, visceral, and fiercely alive. Rooted in collaboration, this project embodies a community of dedicated NYJO musicians and staff.
Sam Eastmond describes the project’s ethos:
“Music to me, and to my dear friend John Zorn, is about community. About groups of musicians all with a common purpose elevating each other in service of the sound. Egos subsumed to the group. Playing the right notes is a starting point. We’re here to play the emotion of the sound. Rehearsals are about growing a band, learning to play together, serious fun.”
Alongside the gigs, NYJO will also deliver a March 2026 Schools’ Tour, giving secondary school students the opportunity to experience and take part in live, jazz-inspired music. A small ensemble of NYJO Emerging Professional musicians will draw inspiration from John Zorn’s Masada to develop outreach projects in Rhondda Cynon Taf and Birmingham. In RCT, musicians will perform a 45-minute gig, followed by an in-school workshop, leaving schools with new repertoire to continue rehearsing independently. Music created by participating students will be performed as the opening act for the Masada concert in Cardiff, placing local young musicians at the heart of the performance. In Birmingham NYJO Emerging Professional musicians will deliver workshops with B:Music’s beginner and intermediate jazz groups to create the opening act for the B:Music gig.
Vikki Maudave, Programmes & Operations Director for NYJO said,
“This work is about widening the gate into jazz. By creating meaningful opportunities for young musicians ahead of our gigs, we build skills, spark ambition and grow new audiences, ensuring jazz continues to evolve, reflect and belong to the next generation. This tour of Masada celebrates collective music making, artistic growth, and the enduring power of John Zorn’s work in the hands of a new generation.”
Performers
Jamie Harms (Reed 1, alto and clarinet), Maya Mitra (Reed 2, alto and flute), Harvey Parkin- Christie (Reed 3, tenor), Benjy Sandler (Reed 4, tenor and soprano), Noah Chiari (baritone saxophone and bass clarinet), Carmen Llena (Trumpet 1), Sam Ehert-Pickett (Trumpet 2), George Menter (Trumpet 3), Eleanor Benson Bradshaw (Trumpet 4), Benjamin Krauss (Trombone 1), Ben Moss (Trombone 2), Lexi Turvey (Trombone 3), Annie Morris (Tuba), Johnathan Vel (upright bass), Alfie Dean (guitar), Natan Kedzierski (drums), and Nika Ticciati (keys)
Tour Dates;
7 March 2026 – B:Music, Birmingham, 3pm
16 March 2026 – Ronnie Scott’s, London, 5.30pm
26 March 2026 – University of Cardiff, Cardiff, 7pm
About NYJO
NYJO is a registered charity and an Arts Council National Portfolio Organisation with a mission to bring jazz and improvised music to young musicians aged 14-25, and audiences across the country. We strongly believe in the power of jazz as a tool for social change and work to creatively nurture young people, empowering them to develop, personally and artistically, through high-quality, accessible, and inclusive learning programmes and professional live performances.
We work in collaboration with likeminded partners around the country to address access barriers to music education and deliver bespoke programmes that cater to the needs and aspirations of local young people. With a strong commitment to making jazz and music-making opportunities more evenly distributed across the UK, we focus on traditionally underserved and marginalised communities to inspire young people to use jazz as a form of self-expression.
Web: http://www.nyjo.org.uk
IAN MANN adds;
I saw Sam Eastmond and NYJO perform John Zorn’s Masada material at Milton Court as part of the 2025 EFG London Jazz Festival. It may have been a free admission event but it was one of the most powerful and exciting performances of the entire Festival and a definite highlight. Don’t miss the chance of seeing them on this upcoming tour.
Review as part of my Festival coverage here;
https://www.thejazzmann.com/features/article/efg-london-jazz-festival-2025-day-nine-saturday-22-11-2025