PARKER, Colo. — The National Arab Orchestra will perform in Colorado for the first time at the Parker Arts Culture and Events Center (PACE) on Friday, Feb. 23 at 7 p.m. The concert, titled “Echoes of Zaman,” will feature musical traditions and instruments that date back thousands of years.
NAO founder and music director Michael Ibrahim said it’s a chance to share Arab culture with a wider audience.
“It’s really important that we showcase who we are and there's no better way to do that other than the arts,” Ibrahim said.
The concert was initially planned in October, but was rescheduled after the war in Gaza broke out. While the NAO is a Michigan-based organization, many of its members, as well as the organizers in Colorado, have ties to Palestine and the region.
“You go to a concert because you want to feel good and you want to be in a good mood, and the situation is really taking its toll on the community and we felt it as an organization,” Ibrahim said.
Ibrahim hopes the concert will be an uplifting and enjoyable time for audiences of all backgrounds. Those new to Arab music will see different types of instruments, like the oud - an ancestor of the guitar. The program will highlight music from Palestine, Syria and Lebanon.
Tickets can be purchased on the PACE website.
