Vijay Iyer and Wadada Leo Smith, Defiant Life at Nimoy Theater

Composer-pianist Vijay Iyer and composer-trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith unite forces for an evening of duets that defy categorization in pursuit of an evocative, arresting sound. Deeply attuned and grounded in the present, Iyer and Smith perform original music from their acclaimed 2025 album Defiant Life.

Smith and Iyer's collaboration began in 2005 when Iyer performed in Smith's Golden Quartet. Twenty years later, the two musicians' partnership has endured a constantly shifting political and cultural landscape. Iyer and Smith are united in their inclination to create, with Iyer noting “[Defiant Life] was shaped by our ongoing sorrow and outrage over the past year’s cruelties, but also by our faith in human possibility.” This “human possibility” is overwhelmingly evident in Iyer and Smith’s soaring compositions and resonant performances.