Takht al-Nagham
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Takht al-Nagham is a New York-based chamber music ensemble featuring the sound of a traditional takht, an Arab chamber music ensemble. “Nagham” is the Arabic word for melody and is commonly used as a synonym for the Arab Maqam system.
Following the vision of its founder, violinist Samer Ali, the takht is committed to performing the classical Syrian repertoire as well as new compositions with traditional acoustic instruments. In order to familiarize audiences in the U.S. with the original structure of the musical traditions, the takht presents its suites (called waslah) in the same manner that they were originally performed. Founded in 2017, Takht al-Nagham has performed in New York City at Alwan for the Arts, Scandinavia House, and Roulette Intermedium, and it’s performance at Washington, D.C.’s Kennedy Center featured Syria's celebrated soprano Lubana al-Quntar. The ensemble is the performing arm of the Syrian Music Preservation Initiative, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that aims to introduce audiences to the performing arts that are native to Syrian cities like Damascus and Aleppo, long centers of traditional Arab music and culture. |
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