SRO Artists, Inc. :: Simon Shaheen

Simon Shaheen

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. The group's release Blue Flame earned eleven Grammy nominations and high acclaim by the Los Angeles Times as "stunning" and "meticulously conceived."

While Qantara has been the focus of Shaheen's recent attention, he continues to also lead the Near Eastern Music Ensemble, which remains active performing more traditional concerts in museums and art centers and participates in Shaheen's Arab Music Retreat. In 2009, Simon directed the multi-faceted orchestral program Aswat (Voices)-Celebrating the Golden Age of Arab Music & Cinema, in association with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the University Musical Society at the University of Michigan.

A retrospective program of Shaheen's contemporary and traditional Arab music styles is offered in his most available North American touring format, a five-piece ensemble of master musicians. 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.

	Standard performance consists of quintet with oud & violin, upright bass, flutes, guitar, and percussion.
	Alternate four to nine piece groups include the Arabic/Latin/Jazz fusion sounds of Qantara, or traditional classic Arab music of Near East Music Ensemble.
	Available to package with various artists including flamenco master Gerardo Nuñez, storyteller Margaret Wolfson, as well as classical musicians, pop artists, and world music performers.
	Also available solo as performer, or clinician, or guest with orchestra.
	Aswat (Voices) celebrates the Golden Age of Arab music and cinema—from the 1920s to the 1950s in Egypt, Lebanon and Syria—with traditional Arab orchestra and the leading singers in the Arab world today. The premiere tour performed nine major US markets during March 2009. Encore tour TBD.

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

	SIMON SHAHEEN TO PREMIERE NEW WORKS AT APAPNYC2012 INDY SHOWCASE 22-December-2011 — Be among the first to witness performance of Simon Shaheen's "The Call" his latest expedition into the past/present/future of Arabic and Middle Eastern music. ONE NIGHT ONLY ~ MONDAY JANUARY 9, 2012 ~ 8:30 to 9:30pm at District 36 (29 West 36th Street - Suite 401, New York, NY 10018, d36nyc.com). For more information about this exclusive performance by Simon Shaheen, click, call, or visit us at APAPNYC 2012, Both #526 Americas Hall 1, January 6 to 10, 2012!
	OUD CONCERTO HAS WORLDLY LEGS 14-June-2011 — Oud Concerto, which premiered with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in 2008, was performed by ERT National Symphonic Orchestra June 4 at Megaron-Athens Concert Hall in Greece. Composer Simon Shaheen notes, "The concert in Athens was wonderful - the orchestra was excellent, and it was videotaped professionally for Greek TV." According to Simon, a recording of the oud concerto is due soon, as performed live in Lebanon with the Beirut Symphony earlier this year.
	ANNUAL ARAB MUSIC RETREAT ANNOUNCED 22-May-2011 — Presented by The Arab American Arts Institute, Simon Shaheen's 15th Annual Arabic Music Retreat will be held from August 13-20, 2011 at Mt. Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts. Shaheen invites students, performers, and scholars of Arabic music for seven days of intensive classes, workshops, and a recital by participants and instructors. Read brochure
	'ZAFIR' WORLD PREMIERE 28-February-2011 — The world premiere of Simon Shaheen's original composition "Zafir," written for and performed with Imani Winds was performed by both artists on February 6 to a capacity crowd at Kasser Theater/Montclair State University. The co-bill also performs 2-April-2011 at University of Notre Dame.
	SHAHEEN NEW BERKLEE HONOREE 25-March-2010 — Simon Shaheen joins a prestigious roster of annual Honorees today at twenty-fourth Berklee College of Music International Folk Music Festival. Read invitation & honoree list.

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