The latest performance in the Winchester Cultural Center’s World Vibration Concert Series will feature the Bishir Hijazi Arab Quartet, a group of local performers, at 2 p.m. on July 31.

Bishir Hijazi, who plays the oud, a stringed instrument, said the quartet will play pieces from contemporary Arab composers rooted in the classical tradition. He hopes to offer the audience an alternative to the Arabian nightclub music that they might be accustomed to.

“We hope to introduce this kind of music to a hopefully tasteful audience who will appreciate it,” said Hijazi, a local physician.

Hijazi has played the oud, the ancestor of better-known stringed instruments such as the guitar and cello, for more than 25 years. The quartet, whose other members are Charbel Azzi, Charl Azzi and Eyan Hoshan, will feature composers from Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon and Syria.

The World Vibration Concert Series has hosted musicians from all over the globe, including Brazil, China, Ireland and Thailand.

Tickets are $10 for adults, $7 for children and seniors. The Winchester Cultural Center is located at 3130 S. McLeod Drive near Desert Inn Road.

(article by Dylan Scott)

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/jul/09/arab-quartet-perform-winchester-concert-series/