PRISMATIC QAWWALI PARTY Dinuk Wijeratne With: Kinan Azmeh, clarinet; Mark Adam, Ken Shorley, percussion; Nova Scotia Youth Orchestra Chamber Ensemble; Dinuk Wijeratne, piano
	SUNDAY OCTOBER 10, 2010 | 19:30 h AT THE MUSIC ROOM | GET TICKETS
	Prismatic Qawwali Party is an acclaimed composition by one of Halifax’s most innovative musicians, Dinuk Wijeratne, reflecting his fascination for influences as diverse as Sufi devotional music, Nusrat Khan, and even American Minimalism. This extended, semi-improvised piece heavily features Dinuk's musical collaborator Kinan Azmeh, accompanied by percussionists Mark Adam and Ken Shorley, the Chamber Ensemble of the NSYO, and the composer himself on piano. With special guests: Marinda+Solari – an acoustic duo based in Toronto that borrows from the folk traditions of the Americas, Europe and West Africa. Their orchestration is sharp, their voices unique, and the space in their music purposeful.
	Dinuk Wijeratne
	Dinuk made his Carnegie Hall debut in 2004 as a conductor, composer and pianist, performing with Yo Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble. A second Carnegie appearance followed in 2009, this time alongside tabla legend Zakir Hussain. Dinuk has also appeared at Opera Bastille (Paris), the Kennedy Center (Washington DC), Der Philharmonie (Berlin) and has toured the Middle East. A graduate of the Royal Northern College of Music (UK), Mannes College (NYC), and from the Juilliard School where he studied with Oscar-winner John Corigliano, Dinuk now lectures at Dalhousie University, and the NSCC. He is also currently Music Director of the Nova Scotia Youth Orchestra, having conducted the National Arts Centre Orchestra (Ottawa) and appeared many times with Symphony Nova Scotia during his 3-year appointment as Conductor-in-Residence. He is the recipient of the Jean-Marie Beaudet Award for Orchestral Conducting, double Merritt Award nominations (2009), as well as numerous other international prizes. His music and collaborative work embrace the great diversity of his international background and influences.
	Kinan Azmeh
	Described as a “virtuoso" by the New York Times, and “Incredibly Rich sound” by the CBC. Syrian Clarinetist Kinan Azmeh is the first Arab to win the first prize at the Nicolay Rubinstein international competition in Moscow 1997. He is a graduate of the Juilliard School in New York and the High Institute of Music and the Facultyof Electrical Engineering in Damascus. Kinan is currently working towards his music doctoral degree at the City University of New York. Kinan has appeared as soloist, composer and improviser worldwide including performances at The Library of Congress, The Kennedy Center, Opera Bastille, Berlin’s Philharmonie, The Mozarteum, Carnegie Hall and the Damascus Opera for its opening concert. He has shared the stage with artists such as Marcel Khalife, Francois Rabbath, Zakir Hussein and Daniel Barenboim. www.kinanazmeh.com
	Marinda + Solari
	Marinda + Solari are an acoustic duo consisting of two voices, and an old Spanish guitar. Borrowing from the folk traditions of the Americas, Europe and West Africa, they get to the root of contemporary genres such as jazz, soul and chanson. Their orchestration is sharp, their voices unique, and the space in their music purposeful. Since 2007, Marinda + Solari have performed together on over 100 international stages, playing festivals and showcases in North America and Western Europe including the Atlantic Jazz Festival, Nuit Blanche and Amarello Barcelona. In December 2008, they were invited to perform in Switzerland as well as being nominated for ‘best live acoustic’ at the Toronto Independent Music Awards, where they won ‘Best Jazz’ for their debut EP release, Cup Of Tea. Their latest release 'MOTIF' (April 2010) is their first full-length album.
	Nova Scotia Youth Orchestra Chamber Ensemble
	Adrienne Richey - flute Heemin Choi - violin Lee Yuen-Rapati - violin Matt Richard - trumpet Mishona Frost - french horn Laura Chan - trombone Lauren Park - alto saxophone Ian Christian - double bass
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