The Music Institute of Chicago presents Syrian musician and composer Issam Rafea and his Trio October 18 at 3 p.m. at Nichols Concert Hall, 1490 Chicago Ave., Evanston. The Trio plays an astonishingly emotional and virtuosic repertoire of traditional Syrian music and new compositions for oud, tabla, and voice.
Issam Rafea, one of Syria's elite musicians, is a refugee now establishing himself as a professional musician and educator in the U.S. He has a passion for infusing traditional Arab and Middle Eastern music with new compositional ideals and instrumentation. Winner of the 2010 Best Composer Award in the Dubai International Film Festival (Muhr Arab) for the film September Rain, Rafea was chair of the Arabic Music Department at the High Institute of Music in Damascus and the principal conductor of the Syrian National Orchestra for Arabic Music. In Syria, he was an active composer and arranger for TV and theatre. In March 2013, Rafea was invited to the U.S. to direct the Middle Eastern Music Ensemble and give a series of presentations and performances at Northern Illinois University School of Music. During his stay in Illinois, he performed with guitar virtuoso Fareed Haque in multiple cross-cultural collaborations. Rafea led a groundbreaking collaboration with Damen Albarn of the British rock bands Blur and The Gorillaz: specifically, Rafea and the Syrian National Orchestra for Arab Music contributed to the Gorrilaz song "White Flag" on its 2010 album Plastic Beach. The collaboration led to a live concert with The Gorillaz at the Citadel, an 11th century fortified palace in ancient Damascus.
Dima Orsho is Syrian soprano with an M.M. in opera performance from The Boston Conservatory and a B.M. in opera performance and clarinet from Damascus High Institute of Music. Born in Damascus in 1975, Orsho appeared as a soloist on the Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center, the Opera Bastille de Paris, the Media Park of Colon Germany, and Damascus Opera House. She is a member of Leish Troupe for Movement Theater as a singer and composer and Hewar Ensemble, with whom she released three albums. Her first solo album Arabic Lieder was composed by Gazwan Zerikly and released in 2008.
Omar al Musfi, born in Syria, had won several national competitions by the time he was 10 years old. After graduating from the Syrian Conservatory of Music with a degree in percussion performance, al Musfi started performing extensively with the Syrian National Orchestra. In the U.S., he earned a master's degree in performance at Northern Illinois University, specializing in world music percussion. He has performed at the Kennedy Center, Symphony Center in Chicago, and the Percussive Arts Society International Convention. He has collaborated with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Pacific Symphony Orchestra,
Yo-Yo Ma, the Silk Road Project, Sting, Shakira, as well as many other groups representing a great diversity of styles.
The
Music Institute of Chicago is dedicated to transforming lives through music education. Founded in 1931, the Music Institute has grown to become one of the largest and most respected community music schools in the nation. Offering musical excellence built on the strength of its distinguished faculty, commitment to quality, and breadth of programs and services, the Music Institute is a member of the National Guild for Community Arts Education and accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Pre-collegiate Arts Schools (ACCPAS). Each year, the Music Institute's teachers and arts therapists reach thousands of students and clients of all ages and levels of experience. Music Institute locations include Chicago, Evanston, Winnetka, Lincolnshire, Lake Forest, and Downers Grove. In addition, the Music Institute is proud of its longstanding partnership with the Chicago Public Schools through its Arts Link program. The Music Institute offers lessons and classes, and concerts through its Community School, Academy, and Nichols Concert Hall.
The Music Institute's 2015-16 Faculty and Guest Artist Concert Series at Nichols Concert Hall continues with the sixth annual Jazz Festival, this year celebrating women in jazz --
Anat Cohen Quartet November 19,
Tammy McCann November 20, and
Dee Dee Bridgewater November 21 -- and two concerts celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Music Institute's Academy for gifted pre-college musicians, one in March and the other, featuring alumni Rachel Barton Pine and Matthew Lipman, May 14.
The Issam Rafea Trio performs Sunday, October 18 at 3 p.m. at Nichols Concert Hall, 1490 Chicago Avenue in Evanston. Tickets are $30 for adults, $20 for seniors and $10 for students, available at
musicinst.org/faculty-guest-artist-series or 847.905.1500 ext. 108. All programming is subject to change. For more information, visit
musicinst.org.
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