“...full of dignified passion. On violin, his playing was throaty and sensual. His phrases sighed and lingered over the tune, then spun off trills and filigree like sparks. On ‘oud, his crisply picked lines took on tension and drama, each measured phrase holding suspense.”
New York Times

"Simon Shaheen's success in combining characteristics of Middle Eastern music, Western classical music, jazz and Latin rhythms into a gorgeous tapestry can be traced to his capacity to find their common threads."
Los Angeles Times

“‘Ecstacy’ best describes the exquisite performance given by [this] virtuoso.”
The Detroit Times

Simon Shaheen dazzles his listeners as he deftly leaps from traditional Arabic sounds to jazz and Western classical styles. His soaring technique, melodic ingenuity, and unparalleled grace have earned him international acclaim as a virtuoso on the ‘oud and violin. Shaheen is one of the most significant Arab musicians, performers, and composers of his generation. His work incorporates and reflects a legacy of Arabic music, while it forges ahead to new frontiers, embracing many different styles in the process.

Most recently, Shaheen has focused much of his energies on Qantara. The band, whose name means arch in Arabic, brings to life Shaheen's vision for the unbridled fusion of Arab, jazz, Western classical, and Latin American music, a perfect alchemy for music to transcend the boundaries of genre and geography. “I want to create a world music exceptionally satisfying to the ear and for the soul,” says Shaheen, “This is why I selected members for Qantara who are all virtuosos in their own musical forms, and whose expertise and knowledge can raise the music and the group's performance to spectacular levels.”

While Qantara has been the focus of Shaheen's attention recently, he continues to lead the Near Eastern Music Ensemble, which remains active performing concerts in museums and art centers and participates in Shaheen's Arab Music Retreat. Additionally, Shaheen tours as a solo artist internationally and as a lecturer throughout the academic world promoting awareness to Arab music through numerous lecture and workshop presentations.

In 2009, look for the multi-faceted program Aswat-Celebration the Golden Age of Arab Music featuring a full orchestra and renowned singers of the Arab world