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ENSEMBLE ZAR
The musicians
Bushra El-Turk
Composer, Leader, Artistic Director
The award-winning young composer Bushra El-Turk's music of '...ironic...', '...arresting...' and 'limitless imagination' forebears the influence of her Lebanese roots and straddles Eastern and Western idioms all the while leaning towards the absurd and the theatrical. Bushra studied composition at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama with Julian Philips, where she gained a Master's in Composition with Distinction. Her music has been both performed and broadcast on radio and television in the UK, Europe, the Middle-East, the Americas and Australia. These include pieces being performed by the London Symphony Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, London Sinfonietta, Royal Opera House, Opera Holland Park, Manchester Camerata, Orchestre National de Lorraine (France), the multi-ethnic Atlas Ensemble (Holland), Ensemble Zerafin (Holland) and the renowned flautist Wissam Boustany. In a few days, she will return to Beirut to attend a performance of the Lebanese Philharmonic Orchestra, performing her piece for the first time.
For more information, please visit her website: www.bushraelturk.com
Hyelim Kim
Taegum (Korean flute)
Taegŭm performer, composer and researcher, Hyelim Kim, is opening new possibilities for Korean music by using a traditional Korean instrument, the taegŭm, as a tool to promote exchange with a wide variety of musical cultures.
Kim is now receiving attention as a young performer who is taking a lead role in breathing new life into Korean traditional music. She has been selected as the pioneering artist of 2009-2010 by the Korean Arts Council; was a performer at the New York Omi Residency in 2009, was invited as a musician for a live session on BBC Radio 3’s celebrated Late Junction in 2012; and was selected as the Kumho Young Artist for 2006. She has also won prizes at various acclaimed competitions, including the Gold Medal at the Korean National Taegŭm Competition and the 1st prize in Korean National Chongro Music Competition. Her debut recording entitled 'Nim: Hyelim Kim Taegŭm Collection' released by Universal Music in 2013 includes traditional pieces together with new works, special commissions and her own composition.
Academically, Hyelim Kim is currently a post-doctoral associate and teaching assistant at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, United Kingdom. She obtained her Ph.D in ethnomusicology from the same University in 2014 and she has been engaged to teach courses at universities both in England and Korea, including SOAS, Hanyang University and Kyungbuk National University.
Louai Alhenawi
Ney and Arabic Percussion
Louai is a musician, composer and teacher. He specialises in the Ney (Arabic flute), Arabic percussion (dabuka, daff and riqq) and Middle Eastern music. Born in Syria where he studied at the eminent Damascus Conservatoire graduating in 2001. Following his studies he spent a year teaching at the Conservatoire and held the prestigious role of Ney soloist in the Syrian National Orchestra Symphony and the National Arabic Orchestra. He has performed, recorded and toured with world renowned artists such as the iconic Lebanese singer, Fairouz, Terry Hall, Natacha Atlas, Juan Martin, Shakira and others. Louai has also written several compositions for a range of Syrian productions including the film ‘Sana Baad Sana’ produced by Syrian TV and other theatre shows. At the start of 2002 Louai was chosen to be a member of the music ensemble with the dynamic Dutch theatre production company Zt Hollandia which toured throughout Europe. Since coming to the UK at the end of 2002 he has been involved in many performances, teaching projects and collaborations.
Since 2008 Louai has directed, alongside composer and conductor Benjamin Ellin, the collaborative project Tafahum (www.Tafahum.org). The show in 2008 involved the work of a Symphony Orchestra, an Arabic music ensemble (AL Farabi ) and also presented the world premier of a ney concerto.
Louai also directs, with artist Alia Alzughbi Diwan Foundation (www. diwanfoundation.org) which performs and organises Arab arts events.
Over the last few years He also leads and composes for his group Al Farabi ensemble performing Arabic classical music.
Joel Bell
Electric Guitar (Fretted & Fretless)
Joel's work has been characterized by the eclectic array of musicians he has worked with, and by taking risks both in the compositional process and in real-time performance. After recent studies in near and far Eastern music, he is currently exploring micro-tonal musics and maqam systems utilizing the fretless electric guitar.
He has worked as a jazz guitarist, written notated and semi-notated scores for contemporary ensembles such as Piano Circus and DuoDort, for the Takemitsu Society, collaborated with contemporary film-makers (such as Joe Banks) and acted as an improvisation director on many projects. He has had works performed in festivals in England, Europe, Canada and the Far East, touring internationally and most recently premiering/conducting a new work for the Atlas Ensemble/Nieuw ensemble at the Atlas Festival in Amsterdam. He has performed with Experimentalstudio SWR, Evan Parker, Richard Barrett, Seb Roachford, Tim Garland, Oren Marshall, Jan Hendricks, Sura Susso, Oliver Coates, Martin Butler, Byron Wallen, Joji Hirota, Mark Hanslip, Frøy Aagre and is a regular member of contemporary/improvisation ensembles Notes Inégales and Galavanize.
After studying composition at Birmingham Conservatoire with John Mayer (composer and leader of Indo-Jazz Fusions) and receiving a scholarship to study jazz at Berklee College (Boston), he moved to London to complete his PhD in impact points between composition and improvisation, under the supervision of Richard Barrett and Peter Wiegold.
Jon Banks
Accordion, Qanoun, Santur
Jon Banks is an accordionist and specialist on the qanun (Arabic zither) and santur (hammered dulcimer). As a member of The Burning Bush, The Dufay Collective, The Jocelyn Pook Ensemble and Sirinu, he has recorded, broadcast and toured throughout Europe, the Middle East and the Americas. Other projects include ZRI - reinventing masterpieces by Brahms for gypsy band - and collaborations with Red Byrd, Kalia, Notes Inégales, Joglaresa and Al-Asheqeen. He is a regular performer and musical director at the Globe Theatre and RSC, records freelance for film and TV, and moonlights as accordionist for the Tivoli Café Band. Jon lectures on Middle Eastern music at Anglia Ruskin University and recent publications include a book, The Instrumental Consort Repertory of the Fifteenth Century, and a chapter on the Renaissance for the Cambridge History of Musical Performance.
Miloš Milivojević
Classical Accordion
Serbian born accordionist Miloš Milivojević is a first prize winner at International Competitions in Germany, France, Italy and Denmark. In Serbia he studied with Vojin Vasovic and with Owen Murray at the Royal Academy of Music where he graduated and was awarded with Dip RAM. In 2007 he became the first accordionist ever to win the RAM Club Prize at the Academy open to all instrumentalists and in the 2008 was the Winner of the prestigious Derek Butler London Prize at the Wigmore Hall - contested by students from all four of the London conservatories. Milos has performed in venues such as the Royal Albert Hall, Wembley Arena, Birmingham Symphony Hall, Sidney Opera House, Wigmore Hall, Cadogan Hall, Purcell Room, St John Smith Square, St James Piccadilly, St Martin in the Fields and has performed at the Foundation Day, an award ceremony attended by HRH The Princess Royal. Highlights in 2013 include Mahler 4th Symphony with Guildhall Sinfonietta, World premiere of Geoffrey Hanson’s Concerto “Accord” for accordion and strings and UK premiere of “Concerto Piccolo” by Andres Koppel.
In 2014 has been elected an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music (ARAM) in recognition of his contribution to music His debut solo CD will be released on Nimbus label in 2015. “A hurricane of imaginative invention” Hilary Finch, The Times. www.milosmilivojevic.com