Middle Eastern Festival: The Music of Syria
Syrian clarinetist and composer Kinan Azmeh during a live performance of Home Within
The Berklee Middle Eastern Festival is an annual event that joins artists from the Middle East, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean with students from all over the world. It returns on Saturday, March 26, to celebrate the music and culture of Syria.
A highlight of this year’s festival is the hour-long multimedia project Home Within, an impressionistic reflection of the Syrian revolution in which art and music develop in counterpoint to each other. Created and performed by Syrian composer and clarinetist Kinan Azmeh and Syrian-American visual artist Kevork Mourad, Home Within has toured the U.S. and Europe, raising awareness and funds for Syrian refugees.
Directed by festival founder and associate professor Christiane Karam, the event will also feature performances by Syrian oud virtuoso Kenan Adnawi and his ensemble, and Javier Limón, a seven-time Latin Grammy Award-winning flamenco guitarist and artistic director of the Berklee Mediterranean Music Institute. The concert will open with the Berklee Middle Eastern Fusion Ensemble, the Pletenitsa Balkan Choir, and other guests.
The Berklee Middle Eastern Festival: The Music of Syria takes place Saturday, March 26, 2016, 7:00 p.m., at First Church of Boston, located at 66 Marlborough Street, Boston. Admission: $8 in advance, $12 day of show. For tickets, visit berklee.edu/events.