Sonia Seeman, director
Mana Pouresmaeil, assistant
Arabic Language Students' Choir
Reema Barakat & Sonia Seeman, co-directors
This concert will last about 90 minutes without intermission.
Please silence your electronic devices.
Photography, video, or recording of any part of this performance is prohibited
Program
Urban Suite from Empire to Taverns
By Ottoman, Persian, Armenian, and Mizrahi Jewish Iraqi composers
Peşrev in makam Bayati and usul Firenkçın (12)
17th century Ottoman instrumental composition transcribed by Dimitri Cantemir
Introduced by Dr. Evgenios Voulgaris; directed by Dimitris Gkoulimaris
Jaane Jahan - Beloved of the World
Persian classical tasnif song in dastgah Nava after version by Mohammad Shajarian; lyrics by Mawlana Jalaluddin Rumi.
Oscar Garcia, arranger; Mojtaba Ranjbar, voice
Keesher Bar
Armenian dance tune by Ara Dinkjian in makam Hüseyni
Dimitris Gkoulimaris, oud taksim; Michael Mikulka, duduk meyan
Bu akşam gün batarken gel
(Come tonight when the sun is setting)
Turkish light classical şarkı by Tatyos Ekserciyan in makam Uşşak, usul aksak
Evrim Solmaz, voice
Saz sama’I in maqam Lami
Instrumental composition in maqam Lami; iqaat aksak samai and samai by Yair Dalal
When worlds converge
Drum piece from Arabic and Persian rhythmic traditions
Composed by members of Bereket; arranged by Sonia Seeman and Mana Pouresmaeil
Mana Pouresmaeil, solo tombak; Haithem Gabr, solo darbuka; Malak Ahmed, solo riqq
Arabic Suite
Habayeb – Lovers
Instrumental work by Palestinian musician and composer Rowhi al-Khammash.
Director, transcription, arrangement by Hanna Salmon
Shftu bel anaatir – I saw him by the arches
Syrian love song after version by Saba al-Shahrurat “The Blackbird”,
Marina Barsoum, director; voice; Arabic Language Students Choir
Heila Heila – Hey, Hey!
Tunisian protest song composed by Nebrass Chammam,
Haithem Gabr, director; voice; Arabic Language Students Choir
Sidi Mansour – My lord Mansour
Tunisian song as performed by Hakim
Nader Yousef, director; voice; Arabic Language Students Choir
Aley al Kufiyah - Raise your khafiyeh
Palestinian dabkah dance song
Abdullah al-Aqroot, director; voice; Arabic Language Students Choir
About the Program
Bereket Middle Eastern Ensemble is comprised of university students, faculty, staff and community members. “Bereket” is a word with cognates in Turkish, Arabic and Persian that translates as “abundance,” “fruitfulness,” and “divine gift.” Over half of our members are from the Middle East, and all are interested in learning about the culture, history, religions and languages from these areas. Our repertoire includes music from the Middle East, Armenia and North Africa. Each semester focuses on a particular era, area and/or topic. This ensemble is offered as a class that is open to the general public as well as to UT students, supported by the Butler School of Music and the Center for Middle Eastern Studies. This semester is organized around melodic mode Bayati and its cognates in Turkish, Armenian, Arabic, Mizrahi and Persian traditions. We thank Dr. Evgenios Voulgaris for his superb workshop series on Cantemir compositions facilitated by Dimitris Gkoulimaris and financial support from the Rainwater Innovation grant and Center for Middle Eastern Studies.
Musicians
Bereket
Abdullah Alqaroot: oud; voice
Annika Mulkay: viola
Ahmet Ucar: def; voice
Azza Hararah; def; voice
Daniel Naves: flute
Dimitris Gkoulimaris: oud
Erik Salinas: oud
Erin Yousef: def; voice
Evrim Solmaz; def; voice
Fataneh Fasihnia; def
Feherlo Gortva: violin
Fernanda Merlet: def
Ghadeer Okayli, def; oud
Haitham Gabr: darbuka; def; voice
Hamidreza Fallahi: def; setar
Hanna Salmon: oud
Işınsu Savaş: def
Jackson Hendrix: bass
Jasim Azizi: darbuka; def; shaker; tombak
John Gough: cello
Kassandra Silva: darbuka
Kim Pachard: def
Kameel Kishek: alto saxophone
Lila Al-Kassem: def
Laila Qutob: def; darbuka; voice
Malak Ahmed: darbuka; riqq; tabla baladi; voice
Mana Pouresmaeil: tombak
Marilyn Okoro: def
Mary Kay Hendrix: volin
Mehdi Akhbari: setar
Michael Kerbeykian-Mikulka: duduk
Mike Hidalgo: def
Mojtaba Ranjbar: def; voice
Marina Schneider: darbuka
Nader Yousef: voice; kanun
Tiffany Bautista: def; voice
Oscar Garcia: viola
Philippe Danielidas: bouzouki; def
Rose Babak: def
Shovkat Aliquliyeva: kanun
Sonia Tamar Seeman: G klarnet; kanun
Stephen Savage: clarinet
William Flores: setar
Yasmeen Hamad: darbuka; def; voice
Arabic Language Students’ Choir
Abdolah Nour El Deen
Ameer Abu Ziyadeh
Amer Qaddumi
Amy Salguero
Caroline Diaz
Christina Huseth
Diana Zidan
Farhan Buvvaji
Ghada Housen
Hadi Noureddine
Insia Nasiri
Jaden Watt
Laila Darwish
Loulou Kodeih
Maher Naofal
Mohammad Farhoud
Nataly Nasrawi
Raneem Mahrouq
Ruhma Tarar
Event Details
Free admission