BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//wp-events-plugin.com//7.2.3.1//EN TZID:America/Detroit X-WR-TIMEZONE:America/Detroit BEGIN:VEVENT UID:36243@arabamerica.com DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260508T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260508T220000 DTSTAMP:20260422T205336Z URL:https://www.arabamerica.com/events/syrian-music-preservation-initiativ e-music-of-muhammed-qadri-dalal-maqam-master-of-aleppo/ SUMMARY:SYRIAN MUSIC PRESERVATION INITIATIVE Music of Muhammed Qadri Dal al\, Maqam Master of Aleppo DESCRIPTION:The program is dedicated to the music of Maestro Muhammed Qadri Dalal\, the renowned oud (lute) virtuoso\, composer\, scholar\, and iconi c musical figure of Aleppo. Born in 1946\, Dalal has performed with many o f the most important traditional singers since the 1970s\, including Sabah Fakhri\, Sabri Mudallal\, and Adib al-Dayekh\, and composed works for num erous singers across Syria and the Arab world\, including Shadi Jameel fro m Syria and Lotfi Boshnaq from Tunisia. This concert offers a rare opportu nity to experience Dalal’s music in New York\, honoring his artistry whi le sharing the vitality of his living legacy with new audiences. Many of t he works presented are US premieres.\n\n \;\n\nThe program is performe d by the Syrian Music Preservation Initiative’s acclaimed ensemble\, Tak ht al-Nagham\, which performs in the traditional takht (Arab chamber music ) style\, and is committed to presenting Syrian classical and folk reperto ire that is rarely heard in the US. The ensemble features SMPI’s Syrian- born director and founder Samer Ali (violin)\, SMPI president Marissa Arci ola Ali (bass\, chorus)\, Gideon Forbes (nay - flute)\, Gabriel Lavin (oud - lute)\, Jeremy Smith (riq - tambourine)\, Marwa Morgan (vocal soloist)\ , and Larkin Grimm (chorus).\n\n \;\n\nThe program weaves together a r ich tapestry of sama’is and muwashahat\, spanning works by Dalal’s tea cher\, his own original compositions\, and pieces by his students. Togethe r\, these works illuminate the living chain of transmission at the heart o f the maqam (mode) tradition\, tracing how musical knowledge\, sensibility \, and craft are passed across generations. Presented in an intimate chamb er setting\, the program focuses on Dalal’s original compositions\, whic h combine deep knowledge of the maqam tradition with his own distinctive c reative voice.\n\n \;\n\nThe Syrian Music Preservation Initiative is d edicated to preserving and invigorating the diverse ethnic and regional mu sic traditions of Syria. Its performances promote the musical heritage of this region by presenting older works that are less known to the general p ublic\, as well as supporting contemporary exploration of the traditional forms by commissioning composers from Syria and the diaspora. In this way\ , the past\, present and future of Syrian music is celebrated.\n\n \;\ n\nSamer Ali\, a native of Syria\, is a physician\, violinist\, musical di rector of Takht al-Nagham\, and founder and artistic director of the Syria n Music Preservation Initiative. He began studying Western classical violi n at the age of eight with Fawaz al-Ali and later pursued conservatory stu dies with Ali Mukhtar Babayev. He studied the Arab violin and classical mu sic traditions with Ali Farran and Ziad Ajjan (both students of composer a nd scholar Mahmoud Ajjan)\, Simon Shaheen\, Anwar Hariri\, and Muhammed Qa dri Dalal. He has collaborated with musicians in the US and Syria\, such a s Khaleel Haj Hussein\, Ramez Khaskiyya\, Bassam Saba\, and Michel Merhej\ , and has performed with the National Arab Orchestra and the New York Arab ic Orchestra.\n\n \;\n\nApril 28th of this year marks the 50th anniver sary of Robert and Helene Browning presenting concerts of music and dance from around the world - an incredible journey with more than 2\,500 concer ts in New York and tours throughout the US by artists from Africa\, Asia\, Europe\, Australia\, and the Americas. These presentations have been unde r the auspices of the Alternative Museum (previously called the ACIA)\, Wo rld Music Institute\, and Robert Browning Associates. It was on April 28\, 1976 that we presented the Andean group Tahuantinsuyo at the Alternative Center for International Arts (ACIA) on East 4th Street in Manhattan. ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.arabamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2 026/04/unnamed-2-1.jpg LOCATION:509 Atlantic Avenue at 3rd Avenue\, Roulette\, 509 Atlantic Avenue at 3rd Avenue\, Brooklyn\, New York\, United States GEO:40.685617;-73.980774 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Roulette\, 509 Atlantic Ave nue at 3rd Avenue\, Brooklyn\, New York\, United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=100 ;X-TITLE=509 Atlantic Avenue at 3rd Avenue:geo:40.685617,-73.980774 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Detroit X-LIC-LOCATION:America/Detroit BEGIN:DAYLIGHT DTSTART:20260308T030000 TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT END:DAYLIGHT END:VTIMEZONE END:VCALENDAR