Teslim: New Compositions Inspired by Traditional Turkish and Balkan Music

Teslim is a quartet of composers/instrumentalists who perform traditional Turkish, Greek and Balkan music as well as new compositions inspired by these traditions.

This concert will feature original compositions by the members of the ensemble and by their favorite composers. In addition to this repertoire, Teslim will also perform some traditional pieces from Turkey and nearby countries.

In Turkish, the word teslim means both "commit" and "surrender." In Turkish music, teslim means "theme" or main melody-a composition journeys away from and returns home to its teslim, which becomes like a beloved and familiar character. Committing and surrendering are two sides of the same coin. If we are all commitment--technical practice, diligent study--we may not allow the spirit of the music to animate those sounds; if we are all surrender, our skills are not honed and we are unable to express that spirit in a worthy vessel.

With Kaila Flexer, violin, tarhui; Gari Hegedus, oud, saz, mandocello, tarhu; Elana Brutman, Cretan lyra with sympathetic strings, and Joshua Mellinger, frame drum, darabuka, tonbak

$15-$30.

Presented by Calliope: East Bay Music & Arts