John Murchison is a Brooklyn-based bassist and multi-instrumentalist. He is known for his active role in several musical circles, performing primarily in pop and musical theater, jazz and avant-garde, and traditional musics from the Middle East and Africa.
John is one of the most in-demand bassists for traditional Arabic music in the United States. In addition to his work on bass, 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 the NYC area.
He has performed in a variety of award-winning theater productions from downtown to Time Square, such as "Natasha, Pierre, & the Great Comet of 1812" (Ars Nova, Kazino, Broadway), "In The Green" (Lincoln Center), and "Oratorio For Living Things" (Ars Nova/Greenwich House). He has also performed with an array of pop and theater artists such as Josh Groban, Cristin Milioti, Philippa Soo, Brittain Ashford, Grace Mclean, Shoba Narayan, and many more.
He has performed in the US and internationally with Puerto Rican folkloric dance ensemble Danza Fiesta. He has also performed with popular artists from West Africa such as Fode Kouyate, Sekouba Kandia, Famoro Dioubate and Missia Saran Dioubate.