R&B - East of the River

This event has been postponed due to the current rapidly changing circumstances surrounding COVID-19, and a make-up concert will be decided at a later date. This was a difficult decision, but we believe it is in best interests of both the artists and our community. Information for ticket holders will be forthcoming. Thank you for your patience.

Hamsa
Music from Andalusia, the Ottoman Empire, North Africa, and the Sephardic Diaspora

East of the River performs music from the Near East from Jewish and Ottoman traditions of the 13th through 18th centuries. Based on the melodic modal system referred to as the Maqam, this program draws its listeners to the distinct beauty of and similarities between liturgical, folk, and Ottoman courtly music. With Eylem Basaldi, violin; Kane Mathis, ‘oud; Nina Stern, recorders & chalumeau; Daphna Mor, recorders & voice; and Shane Shanahan, percussion.

The performance will be held at Hicks Memorial Chapel on the campus of Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, home of the Kelso Museum of Near Eastern Archeology. The museum will be open from 6:00-7:00 PM and will feature a special display (details below). East of the River artists Nina Stern, Daphna Mor, and Kane Mathis will lead a pre-concert demonstration/conversation from 7:00-7:30 PM.

6-7 PM: The Kelso Museum of Near Eastern Archeology at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary
Pittsburgh Theological Seminary's Kelso Museum of Near Eastern Archeology will be open from 6:00-7:00 PM before the concert. The bulk of the museum's collection derives from the Early Bronze Age through the Byzantine Period, c. 3200 BCE-700 CE, and it houses thousands of artifacts representing aspects of everyday life in the regions from which the world's three great monotheistic religions originate. There will be a special display of ancient coins from several centuries of the Ottoman Empire as well as Jewish coins reaching back to the First Revolt against Rome in the first century CE. Digitized images of glass lantern slides from the late 19th - early 20th centuries will be on view, offering glimpses into life under the last few decades of Ottoman rule. Portions of 'folk collections' from early-20th century Palestine can also be seen, including Ottoman style influenced clothing.

7-7:30 PM: Pre-concert Conversation with the Artists
East of the River artists Nina Stern, Daphna Mor, and Kane Mathis will speak about the origins of the music they perform, including Sephardic music and Ottoman Court music. They will introduce audience members to musical ideas and distinctive style elements that appear in the music of the Middle East, North Africa, the Mediterranean, as well as the creative process of working with these materials. The audience will get a close look at the instruments used by the performers, including the Oud, a unique ancient instrument which is considered the "king" of instruments in these traditions. Audience participation and a little time for Q&A will round out this pre-concert encounter designed to enhance listeners’ enjoyment of the concert program to follow.