Az Samad is a distinguished composer-guitarist whose career spans nearly three decades. A graduate of Berklee College of Music, he earned Summa Cum Laude honors in both Jazz Composition and Guitar Performance, establishing himself as a respected figure in the international music community. He has performed and recorded with Grammy Award–winning artists Flaco Jiménez and Max Baca, and also served as an instructor for Berklee’s Summer Guitar Sessions program.
As a guitarist, Az performs in a wide range of settings—presenting original works as a solo acoustic fingerstyle guitarist, and within his duo and trio projects. As a session musician, he has contributed to commercials, film scores by composer Rendra Zawawi, and song recordings including projects for NanaSheme. During his years in the United States, he played guitar for Northern California singer-songwriter Tara Linda, the gypsy jazz group Jazz Mine, the cumbia-dub band Candelaria, and performed frequently as a guest with the funk-jazz group Planet Loop.
Upon returning to Malaysia, Az became a frequent guitarist with the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO), performing for Pops and film music concerts. He was the featured classical guitar soloist for the Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy Kuala Lumpur premiere, conducted by Arnie Roth (USA), in three sold-out shows. He also performed in the Southeast Asian premiere of A New World: Intimate Music from Final Fantasy at Dewan Filharmonik Petronas, conducted by Arnie Roth and featuring pianist Benyamin Nuss (Germany).
Az’s performance portfolio includes appearances at major international events such as the Jarasum International Jazz Festival (South Korea), Hong Kong International Jazz Festival (Hong Kong), Penang Island Jazz Festival (Malaysia), and Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay (Singapore). His work reflects a deep commitment to musical excellence and a passion for inspiring audiences worldwide.
Beyond performance, Az is dedicated to music education. He develops comprehensive online guitar courses in Malay for students from beginner to advanced levels. To date, he has released over 100 video courses and eBooks, nurturing the next generation of musicians across Southeast Asia and beyond. Currently, he is expanding his expertise into music production, while continuing to explore creative avenues such as poetry writing. His multi-faceted artistic journey underscores a lifelong commitment to learning and innovation in the arts.
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