A 2025 City of Chicago Individual Artists Program awardee, Brian Citro has been playing and writing music for 35 years. He studied with renowned guitarist and educator Fareed Haque and is a long-time member of The Drastics. He’s performed and toured with JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound, Ted Sirota’s Heavyweight Dub!, Ackah Blay in Ghana, and many others. He leads a jazz quartet with Nick Mazzarella on saxophones, Quin Kirchner on drums, and Matt Ulery on bass, and he co-leads The Hey Lows with multi-instrumentalist and producer Lance Loiselle.

Brian’s new album, Keep Moving (Home), on Calligram Records features 14 original compositions performed by his quartet. Recorded to tape by engineer Dave Vettraino at Chicago’s Palisade Studio, the album presents an “emotionally resonant … convergence of composition, performance, sound, and visual presentation” (Paris Move). The music flows from Brian’s experiences as a musician and human rights lawyer living in India and traveling in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

Brian’s previous album, Acoustic Pastime on ears&eyes Records, features Brian performing solo guitar arrangements of his compositions and Thelonious Monk tunes. In the past, Brian made music as Salamander and Video Gum Culture with Charles Gorczynski, Nate Lepine, and Mark Van Ziegler. Other projects include short video works with award-winning poet (and Brian’s uncle), Christopher Citro.

Brian is also a human rights lawyer and has lived, traveled, and played music in Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America.