Qantara Berklee and Global String Ensembles
"Qantara," which means arch in Arabic, brings to life the unbridled fusion of Arab, world jazz, Western classical, and Latin-American music, a perfect alchemy for music to transcend the boundaries of genre and geography. Instrumentation includes strings, winds, guitar, bass, percussion, drum set, and voice. The ensemble's repertoire is diverse and includes compositions by director Simon Shaheen and other traditional and contemporary composers as well. The Global String Ensemble concentrates on traditional repertoires and improvisation from the Middle East and North Africa.