Phantasm & Elizabeth Kenny

Anthony Holborne
Pavans, Galliards, Almains and Other Short Aeirs, Excerpts

John Dowland
Lachrimae, or Seven Teares, Excerpts

John Jenkins
Pavan in G minor

John Jenkins
Ayre in C minor

John Jenkins
Almaine in C minor

John Jenkins
Coranto in C minor

William Lawes
Royal Consort Sett No. 5 in D major William Lawes
Royal Consort Sett No. 9 in F major

In the heart of Berlin, where cultures blend and arts converge, Iraqi oud virtuoso Naseer Shamma invites audiences on a musical journey through time, tracing the influence of the oud, the oldest stringed instrument known to history. Over the course of four millennia, the oud traveled from Mesopotamia to Persia, then to Andalusia, paving the way for the birth of similar instruments, including the guitar, lute, rebab, and mandolin in Europe, the sitar in India, and the tar in Iran. Shamma has curated a series of five concerts reflecting the instrument’s impact on intertwined musical styles that speak to the depth of cultural exchange between peoples. “These concerts are not just performances,” Shamma says, “they are meetings with time, where melodies blend with history. This series is an invitation to dive into the journey of the oud as an instrument and as a bridge between civilizations. Every string carries the echo of thousands of years, and every note tells the story of humanity.”