Saturday, Oct. 28, 2006
7:30pm
Temple Shearith Israel
8 West 70th Street
Suggested contribution is $15 at the door.

ALHAMBRA plays the rhythmic and hauntingly beautiful Sephardic music of the Middle East, which melds the words and melodies of 15th century Spain, filtered through Turkey, Greece, the Balkans and Arabic lands.

ALHAMBRA was founded in 1981 by its director and lead singer Dr Isabelle Ganz, who is a professor of music, a cantorial soloist, a conductor, and an international performer and recording artist. She is joined by five other equally skilled professionals for whom Judeo-Spanish music is a special love. Haig Manoukian is considered one of the world’s finest players of the oud – the fretless ancestor of our modern lute. Michael Hess, heard throughout New York playing klezmer music, performs on violin, riq (tambourine), kanun (trapezoidal zither) and nay (bamboo flute). Cantor Daniel Pincus is a lyric tenor whose repertoire extends to Bach, Schubert, and Salamone Rossi. Peter Basil Bogdanos is an exceptional percussionist who performs and records, playing a broad repertoire ranging from pop, jazz, R&B, to Middle-Eastern and Flamenco. Joseph Deninzon, who has been called the Jimmy Hendrix of the Violin, elicits extraordinary sounds from both electric and acoustic violins.

ALHAMBRA has recorded many CDs and cassettes, which will be available for sale at the performance.