**This event has been canceled because of winter weather moving into the Knoxville area and will be rescheduled at a later date.**
The music and culture of the Middle East will be featured during the spring semester’s first installment of the Ready for the World Music Series on Sunday, January 24. The Arabesque Ensemble of Chicago will be the featured performers.
The cultural exhibits and the reception begin at 12:30 p.m. in the lobby of the Natalie L. Haslam Music Center. The musical presentation begins at 2:00 p.m. in the Sandra G. Powell Recital Hall. All events are free and open to the public.
The Arabesque Ensemble of Chicago 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 group uses eastern instruments such as `ud, qanun, buzuq, nay, and riqq along with western orchestral instruments such as the violin, viola, cello, and flute. Members of the ensemble include arrangers, composers, conductors, and educators who serve as faculty for the annual Heartland Seminar on Arabic Music.
Exhibits for the program include the Arab American Club of Knoxville; Rawa Haddad, a Knoxville native, who is selling her jewelry; and art and artifacts from the private collections of Knoxville residents Wahid and Samia Hanna, Suhair Burbar, Lina Shatara, and Maysoun Nadrous. All exhibitors will be present and willing to answer questions.
“It’s going to be a real treat to have the Arabesque Ensemble of Chicago perform on our campus. This group says its mission is keeping a tradition alive and they have done that by introducing and reacquainting audiences across America with Middle Eastern music and composers,” said Miroslav Hristov, an associate professor of music, who organizes the Ready for the World Music Series. “We’re also pleased to bring some of our own city’s residents to the festival to share their culture through the handiwork and treasured collections of cultural artifacts.”
The next installment of the Ready for the World Music Series will spotlight Scandinavia on Sunday, April 3.
The Ready for the World Music Series brings renowned artists to campus to perform and talk about musical styles and literature from diverse regions around the world. Each program is designed to demonstrate the rich musical influences each of these regions have had on the traditions of western classical music.
The Ready for the World Music Series is made possible by a grant from the Tennessee Arts Commission; UT’s School of Music, College of Arts and Sciences, Office of Multicultural Student Life, and Libraries; and the Arab American Club of Knoxville.
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CONTACT:
Miroslav Hristov, associate professor of music (865-974-7535, hristov@utk.edu)