Sonia Tamar Seeman, director
Mana Pouresmaeil, teaching assistant
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
Poetry and Song across the Middle East
Program
Suite of Arabic and Ottoman Instrumental works in makam Rast
1. Darij Rast by Abd al-Mun’im ‘Arafah
2. Rast dulab
3. Peşrev in usul (rhythmic mode) Berefşan, attributed to Dimitri Kantemir (1673–1723)
4. Ament Bellah (I now believe in God)
Arabic love song based on poetry by Mustapha Khraief, composed by Farid Ghosn for singer Laure Daccache. Haitham Gabr, solo voice.
5. Drum Solo composed and directed by Mana Pouresmaeil
Hatham Gabr, solo darbuka; Mana Pouresmaeil, solo tombak.
6. Şimdi Uzaklardasın (Now that you are far away) 20th century Turkish light classical şarkı composed by Zeki Müren
Evrim Solmaz, solo voice.
Set of Persian classical works in Dastgāh-e Navā:
7. Chahārmezrāb
8. Improvisation
9. Tasnif Jānam Jānam
10. Second Chahārmezrāb
11. Improvisation
12. Tasnif Jān-e Man
Dr. Sonia T Seeman, kanun; Dr. Kamran Aghaie, tar; Hamidreza Fallahi, setar’ Dimitris Gkoulimaris, oud; Dr. Michael Mikulka, duduk; Mana Pouresmaeil, voice; tombak
Arranged and directed by Hamidreza Fallahi and Mana Pouresmaeil.
13. Labkhand (The Smile) Southern Iranian song about hope, composed by Ebrahim Monsefi. Arranged and directed by Mana Pouresmaeil.
14. Zajal and Mawwal Suite
Lebanese Zajal strophic competitive poetry with Palestinian, Lebanese, and Turkish improvised melodic settings of poetry by The Rahbani Brothers, Jawkat Alzaghloul, and Jawkat Alqal'a, Elias Khalil, and Mahmoud Darwish, with melodies composed by The Rahbani Brothers. Arranged and directed by Nader Yousef.
15. Greek Aegean Suite:
Yasemi (Jasmine), Roditikos (of Rhodes), Mesaritikos (of the inner village). Mantinádhes folk poetry and dance tunes from the islands of Rhodes and Kythira. Arranged and directed by Dimitris Gkoulimaris.
16. Ein Keloheinu (One G-d) Hebrew praise song from Turkish Sephardic tradition in Hebrew and Ladino.
17. Tencere Tava Havası (Song of Pots and Pans) Turkish protest song composed by Kardeş Türkuleri.
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. Our Fall 2025 concert is an exploration of sung poetry throughout the region of the Middle East considered broadly. We thank the Center for Middle Eastern Studies and the Bulter School of Music for supporting our activities.
Musicians
Mana Pouresmaeil
tombak, def, voice
Haitham Gabr
darbuka; def
Soraya Limare
def
Ashley Clark
def
Jasim Azizi
def
Shaira Rahman
def
Zeynep Adabasi
def
Evrim Solmaz
def; voice
Florence Sung
def
Kim Packard
def
William Flores
darbuka; def
Sewar Almasalha
def
Dimitris Gkoulimaris
oud; lauto
Hamidreza Fallahi
tar
Kamran Aghaie
oud; tar
Shovkat Aliquliyeva
kanun
Omid Jadidi
kamancheh
Oscar Garcia
viola
Annika Mulkay
viola; voice
Genevieve Britten
oboe
John Gough
cello
Michael Mikulka
duduk
Mojgan Misaghi
violin
Benjamin Rangell
violin
Max Geller
tar
Nader Yousef
oud; voice
Doruk Başoğlu
kaval, percussion
Sonia Tamar Seeman
kanun; G klarnet
Feherlo Gortva-Scheibel
violin
Event Details
Free admission