FEBRUARY 2, 2009
Anadlusian Music Festival To Tour U.S.
Artists from Fes, Tangier and Tunis to tour six U.S. cities in February.
by Tom PryorThis February an array of musicians from Fes, Tangier and Tunis will embark on a national festival tour of the United States performing ancient Andalusian music. The Andalusian Music Festival tour begins on February 7 in San Francisco and includes concerts in Los Angeles, Boston, Washington D.C., Atlanta and four performances in New York City.
The groups performing at the festival include essential luminaries of classical Andalusian music: critically acclaimed Orchestra of Tangier returns (pictured), led by Ahmed Zaitouni, widely considered the last of the living legends of Andalusian music in Morocco; Orchestra Otmani of Fes, featuring a number of emerging conservatory-trained artists including young vocal virtuoso Marouane Hajji; and singer and oud player Lofti Bouchnak of Tunis, one of the greatest Arab musicians of all time, performs with his ensemble, which includes violins, zither, cello and tar (tambourine).
In addition to the live performances, the Andalusian Music Festival will feature a lecture and presentation of Moroccan maqamat (modal system) by Mohammed Otmani at the CUNY Graduate Center in New York on February 13 and a screening of director Izza Genini's documentary about Andalusian classical music and its performers, Nuba of Gold and Light, in Atlanta on February 16.
Tour Dates:
February 7, San Francisco, CA— Orchestra Otmani of Fes
St. Mark's Lutheran Church
February 8, Los Angeles, CA—Orchestra Otmani of Fes
Zipper Concert Hall at The Colburn School
February 13, New York, NY— Lecture & presentation of Moroccan
maqamat (modal system) by Mohammed Otmani
CUNY Graduate Center
February 14, New York, NY—Orchestra Otmani of Fes
Merkin Concert Hall at Kaufman Center, Goodman House
February 17, Atlanta, GA—Orchestra of Tangier, Lotfi Bouchnak and Marouane Hajji
Rialto Center for the Arts
February 18, Washington, DC—Orchestra of Tangier, Lotfi Bouchnak and
Marouane Hajji
Music Center at Strathmore
5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda
301.581.5100, www.strathmore.org
February 20, Boston, MA—Orchestra of Tangier, Lotfi Bouchnak and Marouane Hajji
Jordan Hall at New England Conservatory
290 Huntington Avenue
617.585.1260
February 21, New York, NY—Orchestra of Tangier and Marouane Hajji
Merkin Concert Hall at Kaufman Center, Goodman House
129 West 67th Street
212.501.3330, www.merkinconcerthall.org
February 22, New York, NY—Lotfi Bouchnak
Merkin Concert Hall at Kaufman Center, Goodman House
129 West 67th Street
212.501.3330, www.merkinconcerthall.org