Back to All Events

Sara Serpa & Matt Mitchell

  • Firehouse 12 45 Crown Street New Haven CT 06510 (map)

Matt Mitchell (piano), Sara Serpa (voice)

Acclaimed vocalist Sara Serpa and visionary pianist and composer Matt Mitchell present End of Something, a bold, intimate new duo album out November 7, 2025 on Obliquity Records. With 15 striking tracks weaving through composition and improvisation, the album captures the deep musical connection Serpa and Mitchell have cultivated over years of collaboration. End of Something includes original pieces by both artists as well as settings of texts by poets/ writers Sonia Sanchez, Sofia de Mello Breyner, Virginia Woolf, and Luce Irigaray, plus a stunning rendition of Olivier Messiaen’s “Les Bergers.” The album’s sonic world unfolds with detailed interplay, harmonic richness, and fearless exploration.

Sara Serpa is a Portuguese vocalist and composer whose music defies convention, blending jazz, chamber music, and experimental sound into a singular, emotionally resonant voice. Known for her pure tone, wordless singing, and fearless improvisation, Serpa has earned international acclaim for creating music that is both intimate and visionary. Based in New York City, she has performed at iconic venues such as Lincoln Center, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Kennedy Center, Joe’s Pub, and the Village Vanguard. Since 2008, she has toured internationally with her own projects, and has also performed extensively with bassist Linda May Han Oh, contributing her voice to some of today’s most forward-thinking musical collaborations. Serpa has worked with artists including Mark Turner, Ran Blake, David Virelles, Fabian Almazan, John Zorn, Erik Friedlander, Ingrid Laubrock, Danilo Perez, Kris Davis, Zeena Parkins, and André Matos, her long-time duo partner. Her work has been recognized by The New York Times, NPR, DownBeat Magazine, and The Wire. Serpa is also the co-founder of M³ (Mutual Mentorship for Musicians), a pioneering initiative supporting women and gender-expansive artists. A dedicated educator, she teaches at The New School and continues to reshape the landscape of vocal music in the 21st century.

Matt Mitchell is a pianist and composer whose creative practice exists in the nexus between myriad strains of acoustic, electric, composed, and improvised new music. He has released several forward-thinking, critically acclaimed, and influential albums as a leader on Pi Recordings, Screwgun Records, and Out of Your Head Records, and together with Kate Gentile he runs Obliquity Records. In addition to co-leading Snark Horse with Kate Gentile, he also fronts several ensembles featuring many of the foremost musicians on the scene, including Kim Cass, Jon Irabagon, Miles Okazaki, Mariel Roberts, Sara Schoenbeck, Brandon Seabrook, Andrew Smiley, Ches Smith, Chris Tordini, Anna Webber, and Dan Weiss. He is a member of several significant and acclaimed creative music ensembles, led by Dan Weiss, Miles Okazaki, Ches Smith, Kate Gentile, Anna Webber, Jon Irabagon. Ralph Alessi, and Yuhan Su. He has a longstanding association with Tim Berne, and he plays and has played extensively in the ensembles of many major figures in improvised music, including Dave Douglas, Steve Coleman, David Binney, John Hollenbeck, Miguel Zenon, Rudresh Mahanthappa, Linda May Han Oh, Jonathan Finlayson, Mario Pavone, and Darius Jones. Awards he has received include the Pew Fellowship in the Arts, the Doris Duke Impact Award, and grants from the Shifting Foundation.

Earlier Event: November 21
Jon Irabagon Quintet featuring Nate Wooley
Later Event: December 12
Tyshawn Sorey Trio