Labyrinth Ensemble with Evgenios Voulgaris

Date: Saturday, April 15, 8 pm
Price: $40 Regular, $36 Friends, $30 Students and Seniors
Tickets include same-day Museum admission.

The spectacular Labyrinth Ensemble returns to the Aga Khan Museum for a captivating evening of mesmerizing melodies led by guest artist Evgenios Voulgaris. Join us in the Auditorium for an exploration of 17th-century music collected by Romanian prince Dimitrie Cantemir and one of the most important figures in Ottoman music, Ali Ufki. 

Voulgaris will also present contemporary compositions that draw from the social and historical context of makam music traditions, sharing the ways in which artists continue to keep them alive by constantly creating and adding new material to the repertoire. 

Sometimes referred to as a mode, makam is a collection of pitch material with specific intervals that come together to create unique flavours that distinguish each piece. The first part of the performance will be in nihavend and the second in ussaq. Listen carefully for the shifts in pitch as the program unfolds. 

Composed of 14 stellar musicians, the Labyrinth Ensemble is dedicated to the study and performance of sonic traditions rooted in modal music, experimenting with sounds that stretch from Afghanistan through Central and West Asia and beyond. Each member of the ensemble is trained in more than one musical tradition, including Korean, Turkish, Chinese, and jazz, opening up unlimited possibilities for creative collaboration and composition.

Performing as part of the Labyrinth Ensemble for this performance will be:

Evgenios Voulgaris – oud and yaylı tambur
Sadaf Amini – santur
Yang Chen – riqq, bendir
Burak Ekmekci – baglama
Michael K. Harrist – yayli tanbur
Pedram Khavarzamini – tombak
Roa Lee – gayageum
Naomi McCarroll-Butler – saxophone, clarinet, and bass clarinet
John McKinnon – electric bass
Scott Peterson – upright bass
Araz Salek – tar
Marta Solek – cello and greek lyra
Tev Stevig – tanbur and oud
Aysel Taghi-Zada – violin
Amely Zhou – erhu