TARABESQUE: NEW JOURNEYS IN ARABIC MUSIC by Firas Zreik Will Come to Roulette
The Palestine-born composer will perform with a jazz quartet, hybrid ensemble, and Arab takht ensemble at Roulette in Downtown Brooklyn.
Robert and Helene Browning will celebrate the 50th anniversary of presenting world music and dance with a new season of outstanding programs. Their remarkable journey of presenting more than 2,500 concerts in New York and tours throughout the US by artists from Africa, Asia, Europe, Australia, and the Americas was under the auspices of the Alternative Museum (previously called the ACIA) and World Music Institute for many years; since 2013 the concerts have been presented by Robert Browning Associates.
This season will open with composer & master qanun (zither) player Firas Zreik, who has performed and recorded across the world as a leader and highly sought collaborator. The Palestine-born New Yorker has transformed global perception of the qanun, preserving its identity as a vital part of the maqam (mode) tradition and stretching its potential with a range of fresh, evolving sounds. With Tarabesque, his powerful new album, he signals the emergence of a new musical language which merges tarab—the ecstatic, immersive state of listening central to Arab musical traditions—with modern styles from around the world. He places the qanun—the shimmering Mediterranean harp—at the center of a jazz quartet, a hybrid ensemble, and an Arab takht ensemble, reimagining the instrument as both a rhythmic engine and melodic force. With dazzling virtuosity and deep emotional range, he builds a world of maqam (mode)-driven melodies woven through rich harmonic and modal landscapes that feel defiantly new. He will be joined by Gideon Forbes (sax, nay - flute), Ramiro Marziani (guitar), John Murchison (bass), and Alber Baseel (percussion).
Firas Zreik has collaborated with a cross-section of leading artists, including Simon Shaheen, Amir ElSaffar, Roger Waters, Residente, G.E. Smith, Fabrizio Cassol, and his renowned mother and frequent artistic partner Amal Murkus, for whom he serves as musical director. He recently received recognition for his songwriting collaboration with Puerto Rican artist Residente on the song “Bajo los Escombros,” which was part of the Grammy-winning Best Musica Urbana Album 2024. He has appeared at prominent festivals and venues, including WOMEX in Portugal, the Savannah Music Festival, Tunisia's Carthage International Festival, the Smithsonian Museum, Lincoln Center, Institute du Monde Arabe and La Bellevilloise in Paris, Palais de Congres in Belgium, and Teatro Mediterraneo in Italy.
To date, he has released and self-produced three albums: Solo (2021), Salute (2023), and Tarabesque (2026). This year he composed, recorded and produced a film music album in collaboration with Universal Music Production France called “The Art of Kanun.” In 2022, he was included in the Arab America Foundation's 30 Under 30 list. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Music from Berklee College of Music, completing a double major in performance and jazz composition. As an educator, he has taught at the Arabic Music Retreat in Massachusetts and Circle World Arts in Brooklyn, and given workshops at NYU Abu Dhabi, Tufts, and Berklee.
Photo Credit: Oukool Creative
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