John Erlich is oud player with the Qirvah Ensemble (2018–present) and the Bayat Ensemble (2015—2017). He is the former musical director of the ensembles Safra (2011-2015) and Za'atar: Music of the Jews of Arab & Muslim Lands (1997–2008). John was a jazz guitarist/composer before turning his attention to Middle Eastern music, inspired by experiences while living in northern Israel in 1992-93. He is an amateur ethnomusicologist, and has also performed with the Sephardic ensemble Estreya D'Oro and recorded with Cantor Richard Kaplan, and studied oud with Haig Manoukian, Naser Musa, and Necati Çelik.