The Bishr Hijazi Arab Quartet
Saturday, July 31
Winchester Cultural Center

2:00 p.m.

$10 General Registration - Register

The Bishr Hijazi Arab Quartet will perform classical Arabic music from all parts of the Arab world at Winchester Cultural Center, 2 p.m. Saturday, July 31. The concert, part of the World Vibration concert series, will feature contemporary Arab composers in the classic tradition.

Local physician and master of the oud, Bishr Hijazi, percussionists Charbel Azzi, Charl Azzi and Iyad Houshan complete the quartet with special guest Laraine Kaizer-Viazovtsev, violin. Dr. Houshan has been playing the tabla since the age of eleven and has taught percussion. He has performed with such superstars of the Middle East as Sabah, Tony Hannah and Kazem El Saher.

The personal roots of the group spread to many places in the Middle East. Dr. Hijazi, whose father is a Palestinian and whose mother is a Bosnian, was raised in a series of countries, both in the Middle East and Europe. He first appeared as a solo classical guitarist in a Spanish guitar recital in Damascus in 1993., which he followed with a series of concerts and recitals in Jordan, Syria and the U.S., playing Arabic and flamenco music. He composed and recorded many documentaries and sound tracks for Jordanian television. He also performed with the legendary flamenco guitarist Juan Serrano at Cranbrook Concert Hall in Detroit and in the Detroit Opera House.

The three percussionists are all Christians, the Azzi brothers from Lebanon and Hoshan from Syria. Charl Azzi works locally as a hair stylist and Charbel as a medical technician. Hoshan is a physician.
The oud is a stringed instrument like the lute, but it lacks the lute’s frets, allowing the player to bend notes and slide from one to another more freely. Hijazi has performed at Winchester Center numerous times, including as a guitarist. Two years ago he pitted his oud against Shafatulla Khan’s sitar in a blazing musical duel.

The Azzis and Dr. Houshan play a number of different instruments, including ceramic drums.

The World Vibration series presents outstanding music from nearly every musical tradition and just marked its fifth anniversary. This concert is presented by Clark County Parks and Recreation with the participation of the National Arab American Medical Society. Tickets for the concert are $10 and may be purchased on line at https://secure2.co.clark.nv.us/adet.sdi?activity_id=202174 or at Winchester Cultural Center, 3130 South McLeod Drive.

More information may be found by calling Winchester at 455-7340.