Tenth Annual Berklee Middle Eastern Festival to Feature Renowned Musician Tigran Hamasyan

BOSTON—The Berklee College of Music will present the tenth annual Berklee Middle Eastern Festival as part of its Signature Series on March 1.

A scene from Hamasyan’s 2017 Berklee performance (Photo: Stephen Demirjian/The Armenian Weekly)

Founded and directed by associate professor Christiane Karam, the festival brings together guest artists, community musicians, Berklee students, visual artists, and dancers from all over the world to celebrate the music of the Middle East, the Balkans, the Caucasus, and the Mediterranean.

This year, the festival will feature a stellar lineup of guest performers for its tenth anniversary. Last year’s Middle Eastern Festival headliner, the innovative Armenian pianist and composer Tigran Hamasyan, will return to the stage for another memorable performance. The concert will include Berklee assistant professor and acclaimed Ukrainian pianist and composer Vadim Neselovskyi, who will perform with the Vadim Neselovskyi Trio.

Additional Middle Eastern Festival performers include Palestinian singer and post-modern musician Amal Markus, and acclaimed musical collective Women of the World, with principles representing India, Italy, Japan, Haiti, and the United States.

Rounding out the lineup will be the Pletenitsa Balkan Choir, a primarily female chorus that encourages cultural exchange through choral and folk musical adaptations, and Berklee World Strings, which showcases the talents of Berklee musicians from Jordan, Spain, Ecuador, Turkey, China, Canada, and the U.S., among other countries.

“The upcoming edition of the Middle Eastern Festival will draw on music and artistry from across the world to celebrate ten incredible years,” said Karam. “We are thrilled to be showcasing the talents of global superstars alongside our outstanding student ensembles. It’s a joy and an honor, not only to be able to bring such extraordinary artists to Berklee and share their tremendous gifts with our musical community, but also to witness the magic that happens when different cultures come together and learn from one another.”

Berklee Middle Eastern Festival: Celebrating Ten Years takes place March 1, 8 p.m., at the Berklee Performance Center (BPC), 136 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, Mass.

Reserved seating tickets are available for $8/$12 at the BPC box office or berklee.edu/bpc. The venue is wheelchair accessible. For more information, call 617-747-2261.