Tamsin Elliott & Tarek Elazhary
About Tamsin & Tarek
Tamsin Elliott and Tarek Elazhary create border-crossing music rooted in the folk traditions of England and Egypt. Their collaboration brings Elliott’s quartertone accordion, lever harp, whistles and voice into dialogue with Elazhary’s Arabic oud, finding common ground while celebrating the distinct character of each tradition. Born from friendship, mutual respect and a commitment to conscious cultural exchange, their work looks towards a shared musical future while acknowledging the legacies of the colonial past.
Their debut duo album, *So Far We Have Come* (2023), established them as a compelling new voice in contemporary folk and global music. It was named among The Guardian’s Top Ten Folk Albums of 2023 and earned a Best Group nomination at the Songlines Music Awards. The Observer praised its “poised, atmospheric fusion delivered by two master players”, while The Guardian noted that their musical connection “feels affectingly deep”.
Elliott is a British multi-instrumentalist and composer whose work moves between traditional dance music, chamber folk, minimalism, ambient music and sound art. Her acclaimed solo album *FREY* (2022) was followed by *The Meeting Tree* (2025); she also performs with Hedera and Solana. Elazhary is an Egyptian oud player, composer, educator and musical director based in London. A graduate and former teacher at Cairo’s Arabic Oud House, where he studied with Naseer Shamma, he has performed internationally at WOMAD, the Royal Albert Hall and Cairo Opera House.
Letters to a Burning World
Tamsin and Tarek's second album, *Letters to a Burning World*, will be released in January 2027. Created with producer and arranger Rowan Elliott and recorded with a quartertone-capable string quartet, it moves fluidly between Arabic maqam and Western equal temperament, from intimate trio passages to rich ensemble textures. Inspired by nature, humanity and climate change, the record is both a reckoning with grief and fear and a celebration of the living world.
The project premiered at Dougga Festival, Tunisia, in July 2026, followed by Liverpool Arab Arts Festival at Liverpool Philharmonic., with further 2026 dates at Folk East and Durham Folk festivals.
Early 2027 will include Sheffield, Manchester, London and Bristol dates. We now invite proposals for further concerts and festivals.
LIVE FORMATS
Live performances are offered as a self-contained trio or touring sextet, with an additional collaborative format bringing the trio together with local quartertone-capable string players. Each configuration combines intimacy, cinematic scale and genuine cross-cultural connection.