8 p.m. EDT Friday, June 5, 2020
7:15 pm EDT: “Doors Open”
7:30 pm EDT: Pre-concert talk with Rahim AlHaj and Professor Philip V. Bohlman
AANM is excited to partner with UChicago Presents, the Chamber Music Society of Detroit and the Center for Middle Eastern Studies, with support from support from WFMT, to present a live solo oud program by Rahim Alhaj via concert stream on Facebook Live and YouTube Live.
AANM welcomed AlHaj in 2017 for a Global Fridays performance with the Michigan Philharmonic. Widely considered one of the greatest living virtuosos of his ancient instrument, Alhaj has garnered international renown since landing in the United States in 2000. A refugee of the Gulf War and an outspoken political activist, his music shares stories from his native Iraq, including his own, and speaks to the resilience of the human spirit and the unity of humanity in the face of opposition. An accomplished performer and composer of music for oud and mixed ensembles including string quartet, orchestra, and percussion, AlHaj has collaborated with such varied musicians as guitarist Bill Frisell, accordionist Guy Klucevsek, sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan, contemporary string ensemble Kronos Quartet, and indie-rock pioneers REM.