The Middle Eastern Ensemble prepares for its Spring concert with Moroccan musicians on Friday, March 30th
Since its founding in 1994, the William and Mary Middle
Eastern Music Ensemble has hosted multiple guest artists from a variety of
traditions. This Spring they welcome musicians
travelling from abroad for the first time.
Professor Jonathan Glasser has been playing with the ensemble since his
arrival in Williamsburg in 2006. This
year, as part of his new tenure track position in Anthropology, he has been
able to use professional development funds to support the residency of
Nasreddine Chaabane and Amina Bensaad, musicians he worked with while doing
fieldwork in Oujda, Morocco.
The ensemble’s director Anne Rasmussen said, “Most new faculty at William and Mary use start-up funds for equipment, materials, or their own research. It’s unique that Professor Glasser is using his professional development funds to invite his musical colleagues from Morocco. The ensemble has been hard at work learning a full program of ‘Andalusi’ repertoire and we are very excited to host these musicians. The ensemble has hosted over 20 guest artists, but we’ve never had the opportunity for such a long residency. We will all be speaking Arabic by the time they leave!”
The Ensemble will work with Nasreddine
and Amina for two weeks of rehearsal and workshops in preparation for their
concert on Friday March 30th.
Professor Glasser said, “Nasreddine 
Chaabane and Amina Bensaad are
leading musicians in the Moroccan city of Oujda and have travelled with their
group ‘Association Ahbab Cheikh Salah’ to many places throughout North Africa
and Europe. This will be their first
visit to the U.S. and I am excited that we will be able to introduce them to
the Ensemble, the college, and the wider community. The association that they run is dedicated to
teaching young people the Andalusi tradition of North Africa, so in many ways
this will be a perfect fit.” Students in
the ensemble as well as those in Professor Glasser’s senior seminar “North African Music” have
been preparing for their visit all semester, and eagerly anticipate their
arrival. Ensemble assistant Tiffany
Schoneboom said, “I’m so excited for the visit of Nasreddine and Amina. This is an incredible opportunity for me to
experience this music culture first-hand and I will benefit as an ‘ud
player in the ensemble and a student in Professor Glasser’s senior seminar!” At the end of the residency, Nasreddine and
Amina will collaborate with William and Mary students a free concert of North
African Andalusi Music at Williamsburg Regional Library Theatre on Friday March
30th at 8pm.
