Enchanting classical Arabic and Turkish music is performed by Hicham Chami on qanun accompanied by Catherine Alexander on hand drums. The qanun, derived from the ancient psaltery, is a plucked stringed instrument with roots in the Middle East. Works from the classical Oriental genres (bashraf, samai, and longah) by major Arabic and Turkish composers of the 19th and 20th centuries in the Nawa Athar, Farahfaza, Bayyati, Rast, and Nahawand maqams (modes) capture the beauty and intricacy of classical Oriental music.

Award-winning musician Hicham Chami, a native of Morocco now living in Chicago, has studied qanun since age eight. He performs throughout the U.S. and leads the Oriental Classical Ensemble of Chicago.

"Hicham Chami is a truly gifted performer with a beautiful mastery found only in the most skilled and practiced musicians. His music is calming and exquisite in its subtlety."
-- Lindsay Siegel, Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs