Brooklyn-based violinist/composer Sana Nagano has a highly distinctive approach to her playing, grounding chaotic improvisations with restrained precision. Formally trained in both jazz and classical traditions, she rips up the rulebook with projects such as the avant-bluegrass trio Astroturf Noise and 2021’s prog jazz quintet Smashing Humans, 2022’s superb free-jazz trio Anime Mundi (with legendary Karl Berger, Medeski, Martin & Wood’s veteran Billy Martin), experimental strings duo Peach and Tomato as well as Sarah Bernstein’s Veer Quartet.

Excelling at pairing classical violin technique with FX-laden improvisations to merge various styles inventively, Nagano shows equal commitment to freedom and form in many of the works she is involved in. For her latest project as a leader, Nagano introduces an electrified, high-flying avant-math quartet Atomic Pigeons. Her polyrhythmic compositions are derived from the raw echoes of the headbanger worthy heart-beats, infused with powerful yet deeply intertwined improvisations organically. Her musical collaborators include astonishing guitar virtuoso Harvey Valdes, burning guitarist of Cleric and John Zorn’s Simulacrum Matt Hollenberg on bass vi, polyrhythm master Danny Sher on drums (Horsetorso, Crippling Alcoholism).

Nagano was born in Tokyo, where she began playing violin as a child, and moved to the United States as an exchange student. She earned performance and composition degrees from the Berklee College of Music and the Aaron Copland School of Music of Queens College. Living in New York City since 2010, she’s been highly active as both a collaborator and bandleader. She has played as part of Karl Berger’s Improvisers Orchestra and Adam Rudolph’s Go: Organic Orchestra, in addition to working with artists such as William Parker, Daniel Carter, Harvey Valdes, and numerous others. Her debut album, Inside the Rainbow, was released in 2014, featuring Berger on vibraphone and John Ehlis on guitar. Nagano formed several ensembles during the decade, including avant-rock quartet Atomic Pigeons and experimental pop duo Peach and Tomato (with Leonor Falcon).

In 2018, Nagano played on the Grammy-nominated self-titled full-length by pop star Shawn Mendes, as well as Berger’s Tzadik-issued In a Moment and Coheed and Cambria’s Unheavenly Creatures. Astroturf Noise, a mutated bluegrass trio with mandolinist Sam Day Harmet and bassist Zach Swanson, issued their self-titled debut album on 577 Records in 2020. The same label also released Smashing Humans, a 2021 full-length featuring Nagano’s quintet of the same name, including saxophonist Peter Apfelbaum, bassist Ken Filiano, guitarist Keisuke Matsuno, and drummer Joe Hertenstein. The album’s pixelated cover art was designed by Michigan-based artist Rachel Viola (aka dr!p).