Early Years & Musical Beginnings
Shahin Novrasli was classically trained from an early age, developing a musical foundation that would later become central to his approach to jazz.
Growing up within Azerbaijan’s rich musical culture exposed him to a tradition in which Eastern musical language and Western forms could exist side by side.
The legacy of legendary Azerbaijani jazz pianist Vagif Mustafazadeh became an important influence on Novrasli’s artistic development and his understanding of the relationship between Azerbaijani music and jazz.
Over time, these influences — classical education, Azerbaijani musical traditions and jazz improvisation — became part of an individual musical identity.
Music would eventually become not only his profession, but the foundation of a broader creative path extending into international cultural projects, entrepreneurship and initiatives connecting people across countries and disciplines.
Ahmad Jamal
One of the defining relationships in Novrasli’s artistic life was his connection with legendary American jazz pianist Ahmad Jamal.
Jamal became his mentor and an important supporter of his work, famously describing Novrasli as:
“He is one of the greate pianists what I ever heard of.”
Their relationship became an important chapter in Novrasli’s international career and contributed to the development of his individual artistic voice.
The connection also placed Novrasli in direct dialogue with one of the most influential figures in modern jazz and became an important part of his artistic journey.
International Career
Novrasli’s career gradually expanded beyond Azerbaijan, bringing his music to international audiences and establishing him within the international jazz world.
His musical approach combines the freedom and improvisational language of jazz with elements rooted in Azerbaijani musical culture, while maintaining the influence of his classical education.
Rather than treating these traditions as separate musical worlds, his work explores the possibilities created when they meet.
This dialogue between Baku and the wider international jazz world would become a recurring theme throughout his artistic career.
Emanation
In 2017, Novrasli released Emanation, an important recording in the development of his international career.
The project further presented his musical language to international audiences and reflected the combination of jazz improvisation, Azerbaijani musical influences and his own evolving artistic identity.
Emanation represented another stage in Novrasli’s development as an artist working between different musical traditions while creating an individual contemporary language.
From Baku To New York City
In 2019, Novrasli released From Baku to New York City.
The project symbolically connected two important musical worlds in his career: Baku, representing his origins and Azerbaijani musical identity, and New York City, one of the historic centers of international jazz.
The album continued the development of a musical language shaped by cultural exchange and by Novrasli’s experience as an Azerbaijani artist working internationally.
Its title also reflected a broader theme in his career — connecting his cultural origins with the international world.
Collaboration With Akram Khan
Novrasli’s artistic work has also extended beyond the traditional boundaries of jazz performance.
His collaboration with internationally acclaimed choreographer Akram Khan brought his music into dialogue with contemporary dance and demonstrated the possibilities of combining different artistic disciplines and cultural traditions.
The collaboration reflected an approach that would become increasingly important in Novrasli’s work: bringing together people and creative forms that would not necessarily meet within a conventional artistic environment.
This interdisciplinary philosophy would later become an important element of his broader cultural projects.
Quarantine
During the global pandemic, when concert halls and international cultural activity were dramatically disrupted, Novrasli continued his creative work through Quarantine, a project created in collaboration with Buta Company.
The project emerged during an extraordinary period in which artists around the world were forced to reconsider how music could be created, presented and shared.
The collaboration with Buta Company helped bring the project to life during a period when conventional artistic production and live performance were severely restricted.
It became another chapter in Novrasli’s artistic development during a period of global isolation and transformation.
Bayati
In 2022, Novrasli released BAYATI, continuing his exploration of Azerbaijani musical language within contemporary jazz.
The project represented another stage in his long-term artistic dialogue between Azerbaijani musical traditions and the international language of jazz.
This relationship between cultural heritage and contemporary artistic expression remains one of the recurring elements of his musical identity.
Shahin Novrasli Festival
In 2022, Novrasli founded the festival in Baku that would become the Shahin Novrasli Festival.
The idea was broader than creating another concert series. The festival was conceived as an international cultural platform, bringing together artists, audiences, disciplines and creative ideas from different countries.
Through concerts, collaborations and cultural programming, the festival developed into one of Novrasli’s principal international initiatives.
It also represented an important evolution in his career: from participating in international cultural life primarily as a performing artist to creating a platform capable of bringing other artists and audiences together.
The festival became a natural bridge between his artistic background and his growing work in cultural entrepreneurship and international project development.
Novrasli Global
Novrasli’s activities in music, culture and international project development eventually came together under Novrasli Global, where Shahin Novrasli serves as Founder and CEO.
Novrasli Global develops international projects that connect culture, intellectual competition, creativity, professional communities and people from different parts of the world.
Its projects include the Shahin Novrasli Festival, the World Non-Professional Chess Championship (WNCC) and We Are the Future.
The organization represents an evolution in Novrasli’s career from performing artist to entrepreneur and creator of international platforms.
Rather than focusing on a single field, Novrasli Global is built around projects capable of connecting different communities through shared interests, experiences and ideas.
World Non-Professional Chess Championship — Wncc
Chess has also been a longstanding part of Novrasli’s life.
This personal connection to the game eventually developed into the idea for the World Non-Professional Chess Championship (WNCC) — an international championship designed for adults whose professional careers are outside chess but who have continued to develop their chess skills and passion for the game throughout their lives.
The concept is based on a simple idea: serious international competition should not exist only for people who chose chess as their profession.
WNCC begins with worldwide online competition and culminates in a live World Final in Baku, Azerbaijan.
The Championship aims to bring together people from different countries, cultures and professions through a shared lifelong passion for chess.
A doctor, entrepreneur, engineer, artist, scientist, educator or architect may have built an entire professional life outside chess while continuing to study, play and improve for decades.
WNCC is intended to give this international community its own competitive stage.
In Novrasli’s words:
“Some dreams don’t disappear with time — they simply wait for another move. WNCC is for people who built careers, families and lives beyond chess, but never lost their passion for the game. My vision is to bring them together from around the world and give that passion a new stage.”
We Are The Future
We Are the Future represents another direction within Novrasli Global’s broader vision.
The initiative reflects an interest in future generations and in creating platforms through which people, ideas, creativity and opportunity can connect.
Together with the Shahin Novrasli Festival and WNCC, it forms part of a broader effort to build projects capable of developing beyond individual events into international communities.
Beyond Music
Novrasli’s path has gradually expanded from music into entrepreneurship, cultural development and the creation of international projects.
Jazz remains at the foundation of that journey, but many of the principles that define improvisation — openness, communication, creativity, interaction and the ability to connect different ideas — can also be seen in his work outside the concert stage.
Through Novrasli Global, the Shahin Novrasli Festival, WNCC and We Are the Future, his work increasingly focuses on creating platforms where people from different cultures, professions and backgrounds can meet.
What began as an artistic journey has therefore developed into a broader international vision.
Across music, entrepreneurship and international projects, Novrasli’s work is united by a common idea: creating platforms that bring people together across cultures, professions and borders, and transforming shared passions and ideas into lasting international communities.