Maya Youssef, ‘queen of the qanun’, is set to join the Levare String Quartet as part of the RNCM’s String Quartet Studio, for an exploration of the emotional and healing qualities of music.
Performing on the 78-stringed Middle Eastern plucked zither, Maya’s latest music tour, Finding Home, will be a deep and visceral flight through the sonic textures of the qanun (an Arabic string instrument).
An enlightening study of memories and the essence of ‘home’, the intimate event will encompass evocative and thoughtful music, rooted in the Arabic classical tradition—as well as exhilarating pathways into jazz, Latin and Western classical styles.
As a speaker, composer and virtuoso of the qanun, Maya disseminates peace through the restorative power of music. To her, the act of playing is the antithesis of death and destruction. Instead, Maya believes music to be a hopeful and life-affirming antidote to what is happening in both Syria and the wider world around us.
The Finding Home album is supported by Arts Council England and PRS Women Make Music Award.
Tickets are on sale now, you can grab yours using the button below.
Sat 11 Jun, The Royal Northern College of Music, 124 Oxford Rd, Manchester M13 9RD
- Words:
- Rebekah Spratt
- Published on:
- Wed 4 May 2022
