Amir ElSaffar (born October 8, 1977, in Chicago, Illinois) is an American jazz trumpeter and vocalist. He studied classical music at DePaul University and later trained in traditional Iraqi maqam music. Early in his career, he won competitions such as the Carmine Caruso International Jazz Trumpet Competition and the International Trumpet Guild Jazz Improvisation Competition in 2001. ElSaffar’s debut album, Two Rivers, was released in 2007 on Pi Recordings, blending jazz and traditional Arabic music. He has released additional albums, including Radif Suite (2010) and Crisis (2015). Beyond recording, ElSaffar has composed for theater projects and film soundtracks and appeared in Jonathan Demme’s Oscar-nominated film Rachel Getting Married. As a sideman, he has performed with artists including Cecil Taylor, Kenny Wheeler, and Rudresh Mahanthappa.