MAINE
MIDDLE EASTERN
ORCHESTRA

Traditions of Turkey and the Ottoman Empire

The Maine Middle Eastern Orchestra returns to the Portland Conservatory of Music with a new program that explores the diverse musical landscape of Turkey. Listeners will experience a masterfully curated selection of compositions that include: Majestic sounds of the Ottoman Imperial Court, devotional and transcendental music from the Mevlevi and Alevi Bektashi Sufi orders, and lively traditional folk songs that have echoed through Turkish villages for centuries. Come join us for another powerful and unforgettable performance by the MMEO.

Maine Middle Eastern Orchestra was founded in 2018 by Eric LaPerna with the goal of preserving and performing Arabic, Turkish and Armenian music from the art, classical, folk and Sufi traditions. This music was passed on to Eric and other members of the orchestra by master musicians, Alan Shavarsh Bardezbanian, Bassam Saba and Michel Merhej Baklouk.
The MMEO is made up of music faculty members from Berklee, Bowdoin, Bates and Colby Colleges, as well as musicians from the world renowned National Arab Orchestra, New York Arabic Orchestra, DaPonte String Quartet, Okbari Middle Eastern Ensemble, Seyir Duo and the Casco Bay Tummlers.

Run Time: 75 minutes, with no intermission.