***This event has been cancelled due to inclement weather and will be rescheduled at a later date.***
The University of Tennessee School of Music, UT Libraries, and the Arab American Club of Knoxville are excited to present the next installment of this year’s Ready for the World Music Series, “Sounds from the Middle East” on Sunday, January 24, 2016, in the Natalie L. Haslam Music Center!
Cultural exhibits, displays, and a reception will begin at 12:30 pm in the lobby of the NLHMC, followed by a musical presentation at 2 pm in the Sandra G Powell Recital Hall.
For this program centered on the captivating and enchanting music from the Middle East, the special guest artists will include the Arabesque Ensemble of Chicago. The Arabesque Music Ensemble (formerly the Chicago Classical Oriental Ensemble) consists of professional musicians from several countries in North America, Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa who perform classical music from the Arabic traditions. The Arabic Music Ensemble was founded by Hicham Chami, a Moroccan-born qanun performer based in Chicago. Voted “Chicago’s Best Instrumentalist” in 2002 by Chicago Magazine, Chami is also the founder of Xauen Music and the Arabesque Foundation for Arab Culture, organizations dedicated to preserving the heritage of classical Arabic, Turkish, and Armenian music.
The University of Tennessee’s Ready for the World Music Series brings renowned artists to perform and talk about musical styles and literature from diverse regions around the world. Faculty and guest artists will discuss the classical music traditions from each of those regions; followed by a performance of representative samples. Each program is designed to demonstrate the rich musical influences each of these regions have had on the traditions of western classical music. Also included will be exhibits by artists, a display of cultural artifacts and information, as well as refreshments that represent the culinary diversity of the regions.
We are excited with our lineup of exhibitors for this program which this year will include: The Arab American Club of Knoxville (AACK), Rawa Haddad (jewelry), Art Pieces and Artifacts from the Private Collections of Wahid and Samia Hanna, Suhair Burbar, Lina Shatara, and Mary Soun Nadrous.
The Ready for the World Music Series is made possible by a grant from the Tennessee Arts Commission, the University of Tennessee School of Music, the UT College of Arts and Sciences, UT Multicultural Student Life, the UT Libraries, and the Arab American Club of Knoxville.