The Nightjars

The Nightjars are an acoustic trio made up of Gabriel Furtado on guitar, Maya Leibowitz on fiddle and Ellen Gira on cello. Together they reimagine American acoustic music through a wide lens, blending old-time, bluegrass and Celtic influences into a sound that feels both grounded and exploratory. Deeply informed by tradition but never bound by it, the trio pushes acoustic music into new territory. With intertwining fiddle and cello voices, luminous harmonies, textural guitar work, and an infectious rhythmic energy, their music radiates the unmistakable pleasure of musicians fully engaged with one another, both on stage and in the studio.

Each musician brings a deeply individual voice to the group. Raised on old-time and Cape Breton fiddling, Maya’s trademark style mixes these influences with years of experience as a jazz violinist. Ellen, a fixture of both the Washington, D.C. and Glasgow music scenes, has earned a reputation as one of the most adaptable and adventurous cellists in traditional music, lending her signature rhythmic chop to countless projects while drawing from Scottish, Irish, American, Scandinavian, and Canadian influences. Gabriel bridges classical guitar and bluegrass traditions, known for his forward-driving rhythm and deep pocket – an approach honed at square dances, bluegrass festivals, and jazz clubs throughout the Philadelphia region and beyond.

Together, the trio crafts stringband music that invites both movement and close listening. With interlocking fiddle and cello lines, rich vocal harmonies, nuanced guitar backing, and a propulsive rhythmic feel, their joy in collaboration is unmistakable.

The three musicians bring something all-their-own to the trio – West-Virginian born and raised, Dakota is steeped in the West Virginia fiddling tradition as the protege of master fiddler Joe Herrmann. A seasoned veteran of the both the D.C. and Glasgow music scenes, Ellen has made a reputation herself as one of the most versatile cellists in the trad world, adding her hallmark chop to countless ensembles and recordings, and stretching the boundaries of style with elements of the Scottish, Irish, American, Scandinavian and Canadian traditions. A classical-to-bluegrass guitar crossover, Gabriel is well known for his front-of-the-beat rhythm playing and driving pocket, heard at countless square dances, bluegrass festivals and jazz clubs in the greater Philadelphia area and beyond.