The Multi~Ethnic Star Orchestra“Mesto”

The Great Arabic Songbook

From Umm Kulthum to Muhammed AbdoNabil Azzam, Conductor ~ Lilit Khojayan, Qanun, Dalal Abu-Amneh, Guest Artist

Tuesday, 7th February, 7:30pm

The Multi-Ethnic Star Orchestra“Mesto”

Program

Al-Nahr al-Khalid (Eternal River) By Muhammad ‘Abd al-Wahhab

Orchestrated by Nabil Azzam

Longa KurdBy Jamil Owais

Orch. Karim Rostoum

Kallimuni Tani (They Talked About You) Song of Umm Kulthum

By Muhammad ‘Abd al-Wahhab Featuring our percussion section

Orchestrated by Nabil Azzam

Jasmine, for Qanun and OrchestraBy Nabil Azzam. Lilit Khojayan, qanun virtuoso

Dedicated to Dr. Tarek Shawaf, a great knowledgeable manand a true caring friend with vision

and understanding for arts and humanity

Biumri Kullu (I Loved You With My Life)The introduction to the song of Wardah

By Muhammad ‘Abd al-WahhabOrchestrated by Nabil Azzam

Lahn al-Khulud (Eternal Melody) By Farid El-Atrache

Orchestrated by Nabil Azzam

As’alukh ar-Rahila (I Ask You To Depart)By Muhammad ‘Abd al-Wahhab

The introduction to the song of Najat as-SaghiraOrchestrated by Nabil Azzam and David Martinelli

Unshudat al-Fann (Tribute to Music)By Muhammad ‘Abd al-Wahhab

Orchestrated Karim Roustom and Nabil Azzam Nabil Azzam, violin solo

Interval

Guest Artist, Dalal Abu-Amneh

Haddi Ya Bahar (Oh Sea, Be Kind)Old Palestinian song

Orchestrated Nabil Azzam

Sanarji’u Yawman (Nostalgia)By Rahbani Brothers

Orchestrated Nabil Azzam

Inta ‘Umri (You’re My Life) Song of Umm Kulthum

By Muhammad ‘Abd al-WahhabOrchestrated Karim Rostoum

Mesto Laila Laila (A Great Night)

Songs of Muhammad AbdoOrchestrated Nabil Azzam

Performance Time

First Half: 50 Minutes Interval

Second Half: 45 Minutes

76

P r o f i l e s Nabil S. Azzam

He was born and raised in Nazareth to a musical family. He holds a B.A in violin and B.Mus. and M.A in musicology and a Ph. D. in music. Azzam has established himself as a world renowned conductor, arranger, composer, virtuoso violinist, and ‘oud player. He founded MESTO in 2000 with the goal of presenting world ethnic music with the discipline of western classical music. He has astonished audiences across the United States and the Middle East with his original compositions, and impeccable arrangements of works of artists from all over the world that showcase his mastery in the Western Classical and Middle Eastern musical styles.

Recognized around the world as subject matter expert on the works of the late Egyptian composer Muhammad ‘Abd al-Wahhab, Azzam wrote his doctoral dissertation on ‘Abd al-Wahhab’s music in 1990 at UCLA, which is currently on display at the ‘Abd al-Wahhab Museum in Cario, Egypt. Three years prior to that, in 1987, ‘Abd al-Wahhab made a dedicatory composition for violin and orchestra which he dedicated to Maestro Azzam. He also released several recordings as a violinist and composer.

Developing and promoting MESTO is the Maestro’s primary goal, and is currently preparing new compositions and arrangements to be premiered by MESTO.

Lilit Khojayan A native of Armenia, Lilit Khojayan is a virtuoso qanun player, who joined MESTO soon after arriving to Los Angeles in 1999. She is considered one of the best qanun players in the world, and this is evident in her recently released album, Lilit: Kanun Virtuoso, which tells the story of her mastery of this versatile instrument.

Lilit performs all over the world, and is a soloist with a number of symphony orchestras in Los Angeles.

In this concert, Lilit is performing “Jasmine”, dedicated to Dr. Tarek Shawaf, a hauntingly addictive composition by Maestro Azzam, for qanun and orchestra, which he specifically arranged for Lilit, taking full advantage of her mastery, speed and skills.

Dalal Abu-AmnehDalal Abu-Amneh was born in Nazareth, in 1983 to a music-loving family. She began singing Palestinian folk songs at social gatherings at 13, and quickly became famous for her Umm Kuthum performances. Dalal combines tarab (musical ecstasy) with folk music, and makes use of many maqams (melodic modes) and rhythms. Dalal performed with MESTO and Maestro Azzam at the 2007 Jerash Festival where they debuted an original Azzam song titled Zahrat

Al-Urdun. This was followed in the same year by another performance at the Festival of Arab Music in Cairo and Alexandria where they received standing ovations for their rendition of the song Misru al-Lati. In addition to her musical career, Dalal is a doctoral student of cognitive and brain sciences at Technion Institute in Haifa, where she is training to be a neuroscientist. She’s married to Dr. Anan Abbasi and has two children.

The orchestraMESTO --Multi-Ethnic Star Orchestra-- was established in 2000 in Los Angeles, and has grown to comprise 45 American musicians playing under the baton of Palestinian

conductor Nabil Azzam, born in Nazareth. MESTO specializes in world and ethnic music from cultures of the Arab World, Armenia, Bulgaria, Romania, Iran, Greece, and others in addition to western classical music. Since 2004, the orchestra had concerts in Jerash, Amman, Cairo, Alexandria, Detroit and the Angham Min Al-Sharq Festival in Abu Dhabi 2010. Guest artists and singers from around the world have performed with Maestro Azzam and MESTO. The orchestra recently played in San Diego at the Museum of Contemporary Arts and the newly built state-of-the-art concert hall Broad Stage in Santa Monica.

MESTO released its first CD The Crescent in 2005, and Full Moon, 2010.

ViolinsLeola Wagner, Concertmistress

George Kuhr, Assistant 1st

Paula Kuhr, 2nd. Principal

Dennis Timashpolsky, Assistant 2nd.

Richard Adkins

Cesar Chicco

Francesco Chicco

Jesus Florido

Nazareth Gevorkian

Yvette Holzwarth, Librarian

Tom McEvilley

Levon Mkrtchyan

Dimitry Olevsky

Anna Papikian

Lacy Rostyak

Alice Sakharov

Edgar Sandoval

Jacqueline Suzuki

ViolaLindsay Pearson, Principal

LaVette Allen

Miamon Miller

Hans Phillips

Mercede Shamlo

Nikki Shorts

CelloLisa Belding, Principal,

Assistant to Music Director

Meghan Askins

Anton Estaniel

Lauren Niwinski

Christopher Votek

Heriberto Ramos

BassJeff Schwartz, Principal

John Graves, Arranger

Tanya Nunes

WoodwindLaura Halladay, Flute

Armen Khatchatryan, Oboe

Mandy Fey, Clarinet, Principal

Michael Arnols, Clarinet

Charlie Gould, Bassoon, Principal

Marzena Nabours, Bassoon

Ethnic instrumentsRobert Applebaum, Mandolin

Rehearsal Manager

Lilit Khojayan, Qanun

Fahd Shaaban, Oud,

Technology and Operations Manager

PercussionT J Troy, Principal, Riqq

David Martinelli, Bandir, Bells

Ava Nahas, Tablah

Christopher Payne, Frame Drum

The Multi-Ethnic Star Orchestra

ProductionFrank Antonelli, Manager, Abu Bakr El-Tawansy, Press

Nabil Azzam, Conductor

Nabil Azzam, Conductor

Dalal Abu-Amneh Lilit Khojayan