Tales Of The Silk Road

The Sogdian Ensemble, founded in 2025 by artistic director Saba Safa, draws inspiration from the historic Persian region at the heart of the Silk Road, where centuries of cultural exchange connected East and West.

Tales Of The Silk Road is a co-creation between Persian traditional music and jazz, exploring rich cross-cultural dialogues between the electric bass guitar and the kamancheh, an ancient Persian spike fiddle. This project brings together Saba Safa, a virtuoso Persian musician, and Dr Nick Reynolds, head of Jazz at Chichester University, in a unique musical collaboration.

The ensemble’s debut performance took place at the Chichester City Arts Centre during the 2026 Festival of Chichester, attracting a sold-out audience and marking a highly successful launch.

Conductor

Since 2024, Saba Safa has had the privilege of serving as Guest Conductor and Violinist with the North Sea Orchestra. Conducting Dare by Dr. Susie Self has been a particularly rewarding experience. The work challenges performers and audiences alike to embrace courage, resilience, and the power of collective expression.

Since then, Saba have conducted Dr. Susie Self’s Immanence and Harbour in performances at Ely Cathedral, Ely, and the West Road Concert Hall, Cambridge. As both conductor and violinist, working closely with the North Sea Orchestra on these performances has deepened her appreciation of Dr. Self’s distinctive musical voice.

Soloist

Lost is a musical journey that reflects the experience of immigration and the emotional complexities of leaving one’s homeland to begin a new life. Saba composed the work during her first year after moving to the UK in 2019, drawing on her personal experiences of displacement, uncertainty, resilience, and belonging.

Originally written for solo kamancheh, Lost was later orchestrated by Dr. Susie Self and featured in her Magnificat for orchestra and choir. Saba performed as the soloist with the North Sea Orchestra at the work’s premiere at Ely Cathedral in 2025.

Contemporary

Saba is actively involved in contemporary creative projects. Her recent collaboration as a violinist with Catching Flies on the album Strings reimagines some of his most popular tracks for string quartet and electronic music. Released on Reflections, Anjunadeep’s sister label, the project highlights her versatility and enthusiasm for collaborative contemporary music-making.

The project has led to performances at venues and festivals across the UK and Europe, including the 2026 Vaduz Classic Festival.