Syrian Music Preservation Initiative Will Present Music Of Muhammed Qadri Dalal At Roulette
The concert honoring the Aleppo-based maqam master will take place at Roulette in Brooklyn.
Robert Browning Associates, in collaboration with Lotus Music & Dance and Brooklyn Maqam, will present the Syrian Music Preservation Initiative in a concert dedicated to the music of Muhammed Qadri Dalal on Friday, May 8, 2026 at Roulette in Downtown Brooklyn.
The program will focus on the work of Dalal, an oud virtuoso, composer, and scholar from Aleppo, whose career spans decades of collaboration with leading traditional singers including Sabah Fakhri, Sabri Mudallal, and Adib al-Dayekh. The concert will offer a rare opportunity to hear Dalal’s music performed in New York, including several works receiving their US premieres.
The performance will be presented by Takht al-Nagham, the ensemble of the Syrian Music Preservation Initiative, which performs in the traditional Arab chamber music style known as takht. The ensemble includes founder and director Samer Ali (violin), Marissa Arciola Ali (bass, chorus), Gideon Forbes (nay), Gabriel Lavin (oud), Jeremy Smith (riq), Marwa Morgan (vocal soloist), and Larkin Grimm (chorus).
The program will feature a selection of sama’is and muwashahat, incorporating works by Dalal, his teacher, and his students. These selections trace the lineage of the maqam tradition, illustrating how musical knowledge and style are passed across generations while remaining open to contemporary interpretation.
Founded to preserve and promote the diverse musical traditions of Syria, the Syrian Music Preservation Initiative presents both historical repertoire and new works by composers from Syria and the diaspora, with the aim of sustaining the evolution of the tradition.
Ticket Information
The performance will take place on Friday, May 8, 2026 at 8:00 p.m. at Roulette, located at 509 Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn. Tickets are priced at $35 in advance, $40 at the door, and $30 for seniors and students. For tickets and additional information, visit the box office or call 917-267-0363.
The concert is presented as part of the 50th anniversary season of Robert Browning Associates, marking five decades of presenting international music and dance, with more than 2,500 performances across New York and the United States.
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