Crossroads of Sound – Music from Turkey and Beyond
Schedule
Sun, 05 Oct, 2025 at 02:30 pm
UTC-04:00Location
St. James's Episcopal Church, Cambridge MA | Cambridge, MA
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Musicians:Volkan Efe – oud, kanun, tanbur, voice
Theresa Thompson – violin, bendir
Joolz – piano, voice, bendir
Michael K. Harrist – yayli tanbur, bendir, voice
At the convergence of cultures and melodies, where traditions intertwine and harmonies flourish, we invite you to join us for an extraordinary musical experience – “Crossroads of Sound.” This unique concert transcends borders and genres, showcasing the shared makam tradition that binds Turkey, Azerbaijan, and the Balkans in a tapestry of sound.
Experience the diversity of musical forms as we journey through classical compositions, spirited folk rhythms, ethereal Sufi chants, and daring improvisations. Witness the fusion of traditional and contemporary as ancient Middle Eastern instruments such as the oud and tanbur merge seamlessly with Western counterparts like the piano and violin. The musical dialogue between these instruments creates a captivating symphony, echoing the harmonious coexistence of diverse worlds and musical forms.
Originally from Turkey, musician Volkan Efe regularly performs in Boston and is the founder of Boston Meshk Ensemble, a Turkish music chorus studying classical music from Turkey, and co-created the Makam Healing Project. He is a winner of the 2019 Passim Iguana Music Fund.
Theresa Thomspon is a multi-instrumentalist who performs joyfully and extensively throughout genres, including Ottoman/Turkish music, Western Classical, American roots, and indie music. She co-founded Crossroads of Sound along with Volkan Efe as well Tunefoolery Music, a non-profit organization for musicians in mental health recovery.
Music-educator and multi-instrumentalist Michael Harrist works across a wide range of traditions, including Ottoman/Turkish music, Hindustani, Jazz, Western Classical, and American roots music and has perfomed with various ensembles. He is founding director of Halcyon Arts New England, faculty at Kean University, and founder/director at Harrist Music Studios.
Joolz is a transdisciplinary artist whose music transcends her Taiwanese-American roots, classical training, multicultural and wildlife explorations. A founding musician at Crossroads Makam, Trespassers, Global Voices Live, she engages with diverse communities and environments to unearth new insights to our planet. She is a graduate of Stanford, Juilliard, ENMP Alfred Cortot, and The New School.
Repertoire:
1) Hicaz Mandira – Turkish instrumental dance tune
2) Monahogios O Konstantis – Anonymous traditional Greek song
3) Free Improvisation – Spontaneous collective creation
4) Al sazini sevdicegim – Turkish song, composed by Bimen Sen (Armenian heritage)
5) Nihavend Saz Semai – Neyzen Tevfik, Turkish classical instrumental form
6) Rast Curcuna – Pendik – Original composition by Michael K. Harrist
7) Perde Kaldirma – Meditative improvisation
8) Ben yürürüm yane yane – Turkish Sufi devotional song
9) Degdi saçlarima bahar yeli – Traditional Azerbaijani song
10) Naili ahla Zahra – Traditional Arabic song
Sample video: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SIELvAQEwxqWiwNVAj5pil0vaNjAtq1M/view?usp=drive_link
Buy your ticket now @ masspeace.us/CrossroadsOfSound
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Where is it happening?
St. James's Episcopal Church, Cambridge MA, 1991 Massachusetts Avenue,Cambridge, Massachusetts, United StatesEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
