Saxophone | Nay | Composer 

Gideon Forbes is a saxophonist, nay player, composer, and educator in Brooklyn. His extensive background in jazz and Arabic music has made him an in-demand collaborator in ensembles such as The Brooklyn Nomads, Habibi Gün, the New York Arabic Orchestra, Takht al-Nagham and artists Firas Zreik, Alec Goldfarb, Mona Miari, Brian Prunka, Ines Velasco, Yara Asmar, Ayman Asfour, Nibal Malshi, Sami Abu Shumays, and many more.

Gideon co-leads Orchestra Farha and his new jazz quartet, Weavers. Gideon also co-leads Nortonk, which released their eponymous album on Biophilia Records. 

His compositions have been performed by Joe Lovano, The University of Arizona Jazz Studio Ensemble, The William Paterson Jazz Orchestra, Concordia University, OURBIGBAND, the Fogcutters, and the University of Southern Maine Jazz Orchestra. 

Gideon holds a master's degree from William Paterson University in Jazz Arranging & Composition, where he studied with Jim McNeely, Pete McGuinness, Cecil Bridgewater, and Rich Perry. As a student of Arabic music, he has studied with Bassam Saba, Layth Sidiq, Sami Abu Shumays, and Johnny Farraj. He was also an artist at the 2018 Banff International Workshop in Jazz and Creative Music. 

Gideon is available for lessons & workshops in saxophone, improvisation, and composition. He has taught workshops around the United States and abroad. In July 2018 Gideon taught at the Edward Said National Conservatory in Ramallah, Palestine, sponsored by the Muna & Basem Hishmeh Foundation.