April 25: Simon Shaheen in Concert

Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture, University of Pennsylvania and Villanova University’s Center for Arab and Islamic Studies are pleased to present

An Afternoon of Arab Music with Simon Shaheen

Shaheen leads workshop with Kimmel Center Youth Jazz Ensemble, February 2010

SIMON SHAHEEN is an internationally acclaimed Palestinian-American musician, composer, and instructor. A violin and oud virtuoso, he tours worldwide solo and with his ensembles. His recordings have won him an international reputation as a leading Arab musician of his generation, receiving the prestigious National Heritage Award in 1994. Among these, Blue Flame, which was short-listed for a Grammy, brought his Arab-Jazz fusion international exposure. A master instructor in music performance and theory, Shaheen is dedicated to teaching Arab music and passing on his knowledge to the younger generation. He is founder/director of the annual Summer Arabic Music Retreat held at Mount Holyoke College and has taught students at Julliard, Columbia, Harvard, and Cornell, as well as in Palestine, Lebanon, Egypt, and Jordan.

The concert includes a repertoire of Simon Shaheen’s compositions performed by:

Philadelphia Arab Music Ensemble - Director Hanna Khoury

Kimmel Center Youth Jazz Ensemble - Director Marc Johnson

GAMP School Jazz Band - Director Vincent Rutland

Sunday, April 25, 2010, 3:00pm
Irvine Auditorium of University of Pennsylvania, at 3410 Spruce St. in West Philadelphia

Suggested Donation of $10 per person
For more information and to RSVP, contact Al-Bustan or call 267-809-3668.

Irvine Auditorium has over 800 seats. To reserve prime seats and support Al-Bustan, you can purchase advance tickets here for $15/person. Reserved tickets with seat numbers will be held at the box office and available for pick-up one hour before concert.