Musical Performance: The Okbari Middle Eastern Ensemble at

The Okbari Middle Eastern Ensemble makes its Alwan debut tonight, in an evening of Ottoman classical instrumental and vocal music, along with Turkish folk and Arabic contemporary compositions, including original works by their late teacher, Oud master and composer Udi Alan Shavarsh Bardezbanian.

About the Ensemble:

The Okbari Middle Eastern Ensemble has performed at venues throughout New England, the East Coast and the Midwest, including such prestigious institutions such as the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago and enjoyed the honor of being invited to perform at the 2009 Chicago Arabesque Festival. The Ensemble has shared the stage in Istanbul, Turkey with the Kemani Serkan Ensemble and the Rumeli Meyhane Fasil Ensemble. In 2008, Ensemble oud player and vocalist Amos Libby appeared onstage as a guest percussionist with the legendary Gypsy clarinetist Selim Sesler in Istanbul....

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The Okbari Middle Eastern Ensemble makes its Alwan debut tonight, in an evening of Ottoman classical instrumental and vocal music, along with Turkish folk and Arabic contemporary compositions, including original works by their late teacher, Oud master and composer Udi Alan Shavarsh Bardezbanian.

About the Ensemble:

The Okbari Middle Eastern Ensemble has performed at venues throughout New England, the East Coast and the Midwest, including such prestigious institutions such as the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago and enjoyed the honor of being invited to perform at the 2009 Chicago Arabesque Festival. The Ensemble has shared the stage in Istanbul, Turkey with the Kemani Serkan Ensemble and the Rumeli Meyhane Fasil Ensemble. In 2008, Ensemble oud player and vocalist Amos Libby appeared onstage as a guest percussionist with the legendary Gypsy clarinetist Selim Sesler in Istanbul.

The Musicians:
Amos Libby began his study of Middle Eastern music and oud technique with the late oud master and composer Udi Alan Shavarsh Bardezbanian. Amos has studied Ottoman classical and Turkish contemporary art music with Istanbul Conservatory veteran and oud and yayli tanbur master Osman Nuri Ozpekel, as well as with renowned oud virtuoso Necati Celik, and Arab music with Lebanese oud master Charbel Rouhana. Amos is the co-director of the Bowdoin College Middle Eastern Ensemble, teaches oud as a member of the Applied Music Faculty at Bates College, and is an adjunct instructor of oud technique at Bowdoin College.

Steve Gruverman plays various woodwinds in a variety of styles but especially loves the ethnic dance music of Europe, from Brittany to Bulgaria. Steve also plays with the Casco Bay Tummlers, Shavarsh Kef Ensemble, King Pirogi Polka Band and the Flying Tomatoes.

Eric LaPerna has been a percussionist since 1987. He has studied African rhythms with Nigerian drummer Alani Ogunladi, Armenian, Greek and Turkish rhythmic systems with Alan Shavarsh Bardezbanian, and Riqq, Tabla, Duff and the Iqa'at with Master Arabic percussionist Michel Merhej Baklouk. He was the lead percussionist of the late Alan Shavarsh Bardezbanian's Middle Eastern Ensemble and is a founding member of Okbari. Eric has studied the nay (Middle Eastern reed flute) with Ali Jihad Racy, Bassam Saba and Boujemaa Razgui. Eric is the Director of the Bowdoin College Middle Eastern Music Ensemble, and is a member of the Applied Music Faculty at Bates College as well as adjunct instructor of hand percussion at Bowdoin College.

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