duoJalal

Kathryn Lockwood, viola and Yousif Sheronick, percussion

February 23, 2017 | 06:00 pm

Free
February 23, 2017 | 06:00 pm

DuoJalal’s performance at MIT focuses on work from their latest album, The Rumi Experience—designed to cultivate “sama,” or deep listening—combining Rumi’s poetry with commissioned works by composers Evan Ziporyn and Lev Zhurbin. The Rumi Experience premiered at the Williams Center in Easton, PA and included a new work composed by Evan Ziporyn and coupled spoken Rumi poetry with each work. 

duoJalal’s diverse and stunning artistry captures the spirit of our global society. Duo partners Kathryn Lockwood (viola) and Yousif Sheronick (percussion) “are fearless seekers and synthesizers of disparate instruments and cultures” (Toronto Star). From their chamber music foundation, duoJalal skillfully moves from Classical to Klezmer, Middle Eastern to Jazz. Taking its name from 13th-century poet, Jalal a din Rumi, whose visions and words brought together people of different religions, cultures and races, duoJalal promotes a stimulating inter‐cultural experience. Their MIT performance focuses on work from their latest album, The Rumi Experience—designed to cultivate “sama,” or deep listening—combining Rumi’s poetry with commissioned works by composers Evan Ziporyn and Lev Zhurbin.

For the past seven years, duoJalal has performed throughout the United States, Australia and Brazil, regularly performing world premieres of works composed or arranged for the group by Philip Glass, Derek Bermel, Kenji Bunch, David Krakauer and Giovanni Sollima. Their latest project, The Rumi Experience, premiered at the Williams Center in Easton, PA. The premier included a new work composed by Evan Ziporyn, and coupled spoken Rumi poetry with each work. duoJalal’s first CD, A Different World (Innova Recordings), is hailed by critics as an “exhilarating sonic and somewhat mystical experience” (Jordon Times). The Toronto Star exclaims, “If this is what the world music’s future holds, bring on the party.”

Lockwood and Sheronick also collaborate with piano trio and dancers, and they offer masterclasses and clinics for string soloists and ensembles, as well as world drumming. Recent masterclasses were held at Manhattan School of Music, New York University and the Percussive Arts Society’s International Convention.

 

The 2016-17 MIT Sounding Series is presented by the MIT Center for Art, Science & Technology (CAST) and MIT Music and Theater Arts.