Trumpeter/composer Amir ElSaffar is a classically trained musician who explores both jazz and traditional Iraqi maqam music. Born in Chicago, IL, in 1977 to an Iraqi father and American mother, ElSaffar grew up listening to an eclectic mix of music that ultimately led to his studying classical music at DePaul University. Having developed an avid interest in jazz, ElSaffar competed in and won the 2001 Carmine Caruso Jazz Trumpet Competition and the 2001 International Trumpet Guild Jazz Improvisation Competition.