The Yuval Ron Ensemble is a musical group that focuses on traditional sacred Middle Eastern repertoire. The group’s stated mission is to “alleviate national, racial, religious and cultural divides by uniting the music and dance of the people of the Middle East into a unique mystical, spiritual and inspiring musical celebration.”

History and Personnel

The group was founded in 1999 by composer, producer, and oud player

Yuval Ron Yuval Ron ( he, יובל רון) is a world music artist, composer, educator, peace activist, and record producer. Notable compositions include music for the Oscar-winning short film ''West Bank Story'' (2007), as well as site-specific commission ...

. The ensemble includes musicians of all three major

Abrahamic The Abrahamic religions are a group of religions centered around worship of the God of Abraham. Abraham, a Hebrew patriarch, is extensively mentioned throughout Abrahamic religious scriptures such as the Bible and the Quran. Jewish tradition ...

faiths:

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...

, and

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

. The group’s members are: Najwa Gibran (vocals), Maya Haddi (vocals), Sukhawat Ali Khan ( Qawwali vocals and harmonium), Norik Manoukian (

duduk The duduk ( ; hy, դուդուկ ) or tsiranapogh ( hy, ծիրանափող, meaning “apricot-made wind instrument”), is an ancient Armenian double reed woodwind instrument made of apricot wood. It is indigenous to Armenia. Variations of th ...

and woodwinds), Virginie Alumyan ( kanoun), Jamie Papish (percussion), and David Martinelli (percussion). Ensemble performances often include a visual component as well, with sufi

whirling dervish The Mevlevi Order or Mawlawiyya ( tr, Mevlevilik or Mevleviyye; fa, طریقت مولویه) is a Sufi order that originated in Konya (a city now in Turkey; formerly capital of the Seljuk Sultanate) and which was founded by the followers of Jala ...

Aziz or devotional dancer Maya Gabay.

Major Performances

The Yuval Ron Ensemble is based in Los Angeles, CA, and has performed nationally as well as internationally. Some notable performances include: the International Sacred Music Festival of Fez (Morocco), International Oud Festival and "peace tour" (The Settler-Colonial State of Israel),

World Festival of Sacred Music The Fes World Festival of Sacred Music (Festival des Musiques Sacrées du Monde) is an annual music festival that is held for a week in Fes, Morocco. It was first held in 1994 and usually held over 10 days in early June. FEZ The World Festival o ...

(Los Angeles), headlining the

Dalai Lama Dalai Lama (, ; ) is a title given by the Tibetan people to the foremost spiritual leader of the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" school of Tibetan Buddhism, the newest and most dominant of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The 14th and current Dal ...

’s “Seeds of Compassion” benefit concert (Seattle), the International Peace Festival (South Korea), as well as concerts in Mexico, Spain, Turkey, and Poland.

Awards

The group has received grants from the

National Endowment for the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal ...

, was honored with the Los Angeles Treasures Award and the Lincoln/Standing Bear Gold Medal from the City of Lincoln, NE in appreciation of its efforts for peace and justice worldwide.

Discography

* ''Seeker of Truth'' * ''Tree of Life'' * ''Under the Olive Tree''

External links

{{Authority control American world music groups