John Murchison News

At the end of this month, music lovers in New York City will have an exciting opportunity to immerse themselves in the world of the oud - the short-necked fretless lute prominent in Arabic Music and throughout the Near East, North Africa, and beyond.

The cast and creative team has been revealed for the Off-Broadway world premiere of Travels, a sonic narrative collection by James Harrison Monaco, at Ars Nova. Learn more about the production and see how to purchase tickets.

The Syrian Music Preservation Initiative (SMPI) will present an evening featuring works by Syrian composers, Love and Loss: Classical Music of Syria to mark its fifth anniversary at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall on Friday, May 19, 2023.

This captivating program of Middle Eastern songs features the return visit of the exquisite Palestinian singer Nibal Malshi, who has been noted for her evocative vocals.

The extraordinary award-winning violinist/composer/educator Layth Sidiq brings together an outstanding ensemble of musicians in an eclectic program that highlights the beauty and diversity of the Arabic maqam (mode).

The 37th Annual Lucille Lortel Awards for Outstanding Achievement Off-Broadway was presented on Sunday, May 1, 2022 and we have the full list of winners and nominees!

Nominations for the 37th Annual Lucille Lortel Awards for Outstanding Achievement Off-Broadway were announced today by theatre veterans Lilli Cooper and Lea DeLaria, stars of Broadway’s POTUS. With COVID safety in mind, rather than having one host and multiple presenters, this year the Awards will be handed out by a few Host/Presenter pairs on Sunday, May 1, 2022 at NYU Skirball beginning at 7:00pm EST. The Lucille Lortel Awards are produced by the Off-Broadway League and Lucille Lortel Theatre, with additional support provided by TDF.

Ars Nova is extending the world premiere commission of Oratorio for Living Things to May 15. Composed by Obie Award-winner and 2015 & 2016 Ars Nova resident artist Heather Christian and directed by Obie Award-winner Lee Sunday Evans, the event fuses music and theater, surrounding the audience with 18 virtuosic singers and instrumentalists.

 Ars Nova has announced details for the world premiere commission of Oratorio for Living Things by Obie Award-winner and 2015 & 2016 Ars Nova resident artist Heather Christian. 

Robert Browning Associates, Lotus Music & Dance, and Roulette in association with Brooklyn Maqam present the opening concert of Robert Browning Associates’ 2021/22 season, with the NY debut of soulful vocalist Nibal Malshi.

Ars Nova has announced details for a series of events that welcome audiences back to the Ars Nova Hub (511 West 54th Street). These experiences can also be enjoyed online on the Ars Nova Supra digital platform.

Brothers, songwriters, and collaborators, Daniel and Patrick Lazour today released their independently-produced album Flap My Wings: Songs from We Live in Cairo, on the tenth anniversary of the Tahrir Square protests that began the Egyptian Revolution in 2011.

Daniel and Patrick Lazour have announced the forthcoming release of their independently-produced album Flap My Wings: Songs From We Live in Cairo, featuring songs from their musical, the Richard Rodgers Award-winning We Live in Cairo, seen in the Spring of 2019 at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

THEATER FOR A NEW CITY has announced the world premiere production of Rabbi Misha Shulman's PHARAOH, directed by Michael Posnick. PHARAOH will play a three-week limited engagement at Theater for the New City (155 First Avenue, New York, NY). Performances begin Thursday, March 19 and continue through Sunday, April 5. Opening Night is Saturday, March 21 (8 p.m.). Tickets are $18 and available at BrownPaperTickets.com.

The Bushwick Starr presents the world premiere of The Conversationalists, created by the popular downtown musician-storyteller duo James & Jerome (Piano Tales at Joe's Pub at The Public Theater, Ink at the Metropolitan Museum of Art) and developed with and directed by Annie Tippe (Octet at Signature Theatre, Ghost Quartet at The Bushwick Starr, etc.).

The Bushwick Starr will present the world premiere of The Conversationalists, created by the popular downtown musician-storyteller duo James & Jerome (Piano Tales at Joe's Pub at The Public Theater, Ink at the Metropolitan Museum of Art) and developed with and directed by Annie Tippe (Octet at Signature Theatre, Ghost Quartet at The Bushwick Starr, etc.).

The Bushwick Starr will present the world premiere of The Conversationalists, created by the popular downtown musician-storyteller duo James & Jerome (Piano Tales at Joe's Pub at The Public Theater, Ink at the Metropolitan Museum of Art) and developed with and directed by Annie Tippe (Octet at Signature Theatre, Ghost Quartet at The Bushwick Starr, etc.).

The Bushwick Starr will present the world premiere of The Conversationalists, created by the popular downtown musician-storyteller duo James & Jerome (Piano Tales at Joe's Pub at The Public Theater, Ink at the Metropolitan Museum of Art) and developed with and directed by Annie Tippe (Octet at Signature Theatre, Ghost Quartet at The Bushwick Starr, etc.).

In February of 2018, my good friend Shenandoah Davis paid me a visit. I was having a hard time, I felt a little aimless. We had a vague plan to make a cover album and some recently procured recording gear. She filled my fridge with food and assured me that all would be ok-- we had a good idea. She wasn't wrong.

The renowned Wajde Ayub, born in Aleppo, is a classically trained Syrian mutrib (principal vocalist) who has been acclaimed for his exquisite and commanding renderings of the repertoire of Aleppo, one of the great cultural centers of the Middle East; wasla, a musical suite that incorporates composed and improvised parts; and muwashahat, sung poetry. Since immigrating to the US in 2017, he has been a leading proponent of Syrian vocal music here. He is dedicated to maintaining the ancient musical traditions of Syria a?" traditions that have been put in danger by the civil war that has devastated the country. His performances, which include layali (melismatic vocalizations) and mawwal (unmetered song), are reminiscent of those of his mentor, the great Sabah Fakhri, and resonate with the musical ecstasy known as tarab, a heightened state of emotion similar to duende in flamenco. His ensemble is composed of a chorus and instrumentalists on oud (lute), violins, cello, nay (flute), qanun (zither), bass, and percussion who are highly regarded in the field of Middle Eastern music in the US.