Night Heron Quintet
A convergence of five acclaimed musicians whose backgrounds span contemporary classical, jazz, Indian classical, Nordic folk, and Arabic traditions. Founded by cellist Brent Arnold, the quintet features Arun Ramamurthy on violin, Zosha Warpeha on Hardanger d’amore, John Murchison on contrabass, and Alaina Ferris on harp. Together, they bring their distinct musical voices to adventurous compositions that unfold into expansive improvisational landscapes.
Brent Arnold is a cellist and composer whose musical experimentation encompasses classical, jazz, rock, improvisation, minimalism and maximalism. He studied with violinist Michael White (Pharoah Sanders, John Handy) and cellist Walter Grey (Kronos Quartet). He is a founding member of Ghost Quartet with Dave Malloy, Gelsey Bell, and Brittain Ashford. His opera Ali, co-written with Grey Filastine and Walid Ben Selim, premiered April 2024 at La Monnaie in Brussels, Belgium. His new album More Light will be released in 2025. 
Arun Ramamurthy is a multifaceted violinist, composer and educator. He is a disciple of the celebrated Carnatic violinist brothers, Sri Mysore Nagaraj & Dr. Mysore Manjunath and esteemed violinist Sri Ananthakrishnan. He performs internationally in traditional Carnatic and Hindustani settings and in his own projects like the Arun Ramamurthy Trio. Arun is a recipient of Chamber Music America's New Jazz Works commission, and a co-founder of Brooklyn Raga Massive.
Zosha Warpeha is a composer-performer working in a meditative space at the intersection of contemporary improvisation and folk traditions. Using bowed stringed instruments alongside her own voice, her long-form compositions explore transformations of time and tonality. She performs primarily on Hardanger d’amore, a sympathetic-stringed instrument closely related to the Norwegian Hardanger fiddle, as well as five-string violin.
Alaina Ferris is an interdisciplinary composer, poet, and performer specializing in opera, choral music, and contemporary theater. Described by The New York Times as “arrestingly lovely” and “haunting,” her music explores themes of empathy, memory, resilience, and the lived impact of violence against women. An active vocalist, pianist, and Celtic harpist, she draws inspiration from her former work as a music therapist, as well as from Renaissance chorales, classical orchestrations, jazz and folk improvisation techniques, and avant-garde poetics.
She has received fellowships and grants from the Hermitage Artist Residency, NYC Women’s Fund, New Music USA, Cité Internationale des Arts, The American Opera Project, and was a National Sawdust Summerlab Musician.
John Murchison is a Brooklyn-based bassist and multi-instrumentalist. He is one of the most in-demand bassists for traditional Arabic music in the US and is known for his work in pop, musical theater, jazz, and avant-garde. He also performs regularly on qanun, gimbri, oud, ney, and percussion. He is cofounder of Brooklyn Maqam, an organization dedicated to presenting, promoting, and building community around Arabic music in NYC.