Contact: Michele Abba

805-756-2406; mabba@calpoly.edu

SAN LUIS OBISPO — The Cal Poly Arab Music Ensemble will feature Greek, Syrian and Egyptian music for its Winter Concert at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 18, in Spanos Theatre on campus.

Fathi Aljarrah, a critically acclaimed composer, singer and violinist who hails from Syria will be a guest artist; as well as Ishmael, an Assyrian American qanun (trapezoidal zither) virtuoso.

The program will feature several selections of classic Greek songs by composers including Markos Vamvakaris, Thanasis Papakonstantinou and Yiannis Stamoulis. Original compositions by Aljarrah and a famous instrumental piece by the iconic Egyptian composer Mohamed Abdel Wahab will also be on the program.

The Arab Music Ensemble is an orchestra and choir with vocal and instrumental soloists. Its membership represents a wide range of majors on campus and professions off campus. The dance troupe has a similar composition and has collaborated with the Arab Music Ensemble since its formation in 2006.

San Luis Obispo dance director Jenna Mitchell will lead the dance troupe in the performance of original choreography that dialogues with the music. Ken Habib, a composer, performer and ethnomusicologist, will direct the event.

Tickets are $20 for the public, and $10 for students. Event parking is sponsored by the PAC. Tickets are available at the Cal Poly Ticket Office between noon and 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. To order by phone, call 805-SLO-4TIX (805-756-4849). The Music Department offers a 20% discount to patrons who buy season tickets to four of its events through the Cal Poly Ticket Office.

The concert is sponsored by Cal Poly’s Music Department, College of Liberal Arts and Instructionally Related Activities program. For more information, visit the Music Department’s calendar website, email music@calpoly.edu or call 805-756-2406.