“Known for their high energy live performances, the group was recently nominated for the prestigious German Jazz Prize in the category "Live Act of the Year 2025."” - Fuasi Abdul-Khaliq

Fuasi Abdul-Khaliq

F.O.E.

Fuasi’s Organ Ensemble Bios
This international, Berlin-based jazz quartet brings together musicians from Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Lüneburg, and the USA. Emerging from open jam sessions with pianist and organist Tal Balshai, the group quickly evolved into a dynamic ensemble with a wide ranging repertoire—comprising original compositions as well as influences drawn from blues, hard bop, swing, and African, Oriental, and funk traditions. Known for their high energy live performances, the group was recently nominated for the prestigious German Jazz Prize in the category "Live Act of the Year 2025."

Fuasi Abdul-Khaliq is an acclaimed saxophonist, composer, arranger, producer, educator, and bandleader whose musical journey began at an early age. A gifted young musician, he first sang as a soloist in his church choir before taking up the clarinet at age eight. By the age of twelve, he had already recorded two LPs as principal clarinetist with the Los Angeles Unified All-City Honor Orchestra. After earning a B.A. in Sociology and Music from Whitman College in Washington State, Fuasi embarked on his professional career while continuing his studies under the legendary pianist, composer, and community activist Horace Tapscott. As a protégé of Tapscott and a longtime member of the Pan-Afrikan Peoples Arkestra, he served as performer, arranger, composer, and assistant conductor, helping to carry forward one
of the most important community-based creative music traditions in the United States. Over a career spanning more than five decades, Fuasi has performed extensively throughout North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Central America. Since relocating to Berlin in 1992, he has become a respected and influential figure within Germany's jazz community, leading numerous ensembles and collaborating with internationally renowned artists including Benny Golson, Arthur Blythe, Sam Rivers, Ed Blackwell, Marvin "Smitty" Smith, Winard Harper, Omar Sosa, and many others. In 2026, Fuasi was awarded the prestigious Deutsche Jazzpreis – Live Act of the Year, a recognition of his exceptional artistry and his enduring contribution to Germany's jazz landscape over more than three decades.

Tal Balshai is an internationally acclaimed pianist, composer, arranger, and producer whose work bridges the worlds of classical music, jazz, theater, and film. Born in Jerusalem in 1969, he studied classical and jazz piano in Jerusalem, Berlin, and New York, and later earned a degree in sound engineering from Berlin’s Universität der Künste (UdK). As a pianist and musical collaborator, Balshai has appeared on some of the world’s most prestigious stages, including La Scala in Milan, the State Operas of Berlin, Hamburg, and Vienna, Madrid’s Teatro Real, and the Salzburg Festival. A highly sought after accompanist and arranger, he has maintained long-standing artistic partnerships with celebrated performers Angela Denoke and Dagmar Manzel.
His orchestral arrangements have been performed by leading European ensembles, including the Staatskapelle Dresden under Christian Thielemann, the Tonkünstler Orchestra under Jeffrey Jones, and the Staatskapelle Halle under Karl-Heinz Steffens. In
addition to his concert work, Balshai is an accomplished composer for film and theater, creating music that seamlessly combines lyricism, sophistication, and expressive depth. Equally at home in jazz, classical, and contemporary settings, he continues to
develop a distinctive artistic voice through his compositions, song settings, and instrumental works. Based in Berlin, Tal Balshai is recognized as one of the city's most versatile and accomplished musicians, bringing a rare breadth of experience and creativity to every performance.

Gur Liraz is a guitarist, composer, and bandleader whose playing combines modern jazz sophistication with lyrical expression and a deeply rooted sense of swing. Born in Tel Aviv in 1988, he was accepted into the prestigious jazz program at Thelma Yellin High School of the Arts, where he studied for four years under renowned jazz guitarist Ofer Ganor. Following an extended stay in New York, where he refined his craft through studies with
acclaimed guitarist Peter Bernstein, Liraz relocated to Berlin in 2013. He quickly established himself as a distinctive voice within the city's vibrant jazz scene, earning recognition as both a performer and composer. As a bandleader and collaborator, Liraz has appeared in a wide range of ensembles and recording projects. With his quartet, he accompanied vocalist Amanda Becker on her debut album "You're Looking at Me", and the duo later released the critically acclaimed duet recording Ask Me Now in 2023. The same year saw the release of his debut album,
Squiggles, on the internationally respected London-based label UBUNTU Music, further establishing him as an emerging creative force on the European jazz landscape. Now based in Berlin, Gur Liraz is recognized as one of the city's compelling
contemporary jazz guitarists, bringing imagination, technical mastery, and expressive depth to every performance.

Tilman Person is one of Berlin’s most respected and in-demand jazz drummers, recognized for his musical sensitivity, versatility, and deep commitment to the art of ensemble playing. Originally from Lower Saxony, he moved to Berlin in 1991 to further his studies with renowned musicians Jerry Granelli and David Friedman, immersing himself in the city's rich and evolving jazz culture. Over the course of a distinguished career spanning more than three decades, Person has become a vital presence on the German jazz scene. He is a longstanding member of acclaimed ensembles including the Lyambiko Band, the Martina Gebhardt Band, and the Albrecht Gündel-vom Hofe Jazz Sextet. As both a band member and highly sought after sideman, he has contributed to numerous recordings and performances, earning a reputation for his impeccable musicianship, dynamic range, and collaborative spirit. A fixture of Berlin's vibrant jazz community, Person performs extensively throughout Germany and Europe, appearing on approximately one hundred concerts each year. Whether anchoring a small-group setting or driving a larger ensemble, he brings energy, precision, and expressive depth to every performance.

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