Damascus, Jan. 29 (SANA) The Eastern Music Ensemble on Wednesday evening presented a concert of classical Arabic music at the Damascus Opera House, offering a selection of iconic works from the traditional Arab repertoire within established Eastern musical forms.
Titled “Treasures of the East,” the concert featured instrumental compositions alongside Andalusian, Egyptian and Aleppine muwashahat, highlighting some of the most refined expressions of classical Arabic music.
The twelve-member ensemble, led by artist and qanun virtuoso Salah Qabbani, performed a series of demanding instrumental pieces, including Sama’i Nahawand by Iraqi composer Rouhi al-Khammash, Sama’i Rast by Turkish composer Tanius Efendi, two Doulab pieces in the Bayat and Huzam maqamat, as well as improvisations (taqasim) on the qanun and oud in the Bayat and Rast modes.
The vocal core of the evening was delivered by the ensemble’s eight-member choir, which performed 23 muwashahat by masters of the Arabic music including Sheikh Omar al-Battash, Sheikh Sayed Darwish, and Mohamed Othman, reflecting the richness of Arab musical heritage.
Dominated by the principal Eastern maqamat of Bayat, Rast, Nahawand, Huzam and Kurd, the concert showcased the technical skill and cohesion of Syrian musicians in performing some of the most challenging forms of traditional Arabic music. The performance drew a large audience, notably with strong attendance by young listeners.
The Eastern Music Ensemble is led by Salah Qabbani, son of renowned reciter and chanter Mohammad Arabi Qabbani. The group specializes in presenting authentic Arab musical heritage through traditional vocal and instrumental programs, focusing on muwashahat, poetic compositions and classical tarab songs, with particular attention to linguistic precision, musical structure and the balance of maqamat and rhythms.
