Isfar Sarabski is an Azerbaijani pianist, composer and producer from Baku whose work connects contemporary jazz with classical training, mugham traditions and electronic sound. He began studying piano at seven and drew international attention when he won the solo piano competition at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 2009, aged nineteen. A Berklee College of Music scholarship followed, while his concerts developed a flexible language that moves between acoustic trio playing, orchestral projects and more atmospheric electronic production.
His repertoire combines original compositions with transformed references to Bach, Chopin, Debussy and Azerbaijani musical heritage. Pieces such as “Planet”, “Novruz”, “G-Man” and “Déjà Vu” use strong rhythmic structures, melodic improvisation and contrasts between lyricism and drive. His debut jazz album Planet, released in 2021 through Warner Music Germany, brought these influences together in a personal statement. Other recorded projects include Influence and Cycle with saxophonist Rain Sultanov.
In 2026, he founded the first Sarabski Music Festival, held across Baku from 28 to 30 May. The programme placed jazz alongside electronic, classical and contemporary music, and Sarabski appeared in the opening concert and a final-day set with Luca Mannutza. On 14 September, his trio also represented Azerbaijani jazz at Montreux’s Auditorium Stravinski, performing a programme of his compositions and a jazz arrangement of Debussy’s Clair de lune. These projects position him as both a performer and a platform-builder for exchange around Azerbaijani music.