SOCORRO, N.M. — The Performing Arts Series (PAS) will celebrate the opening of the 2019-2020 four-part Presidential Chamber Music Series with a performance featuring the Rahim AlHaj Quintet. The group will present a program called “Letters from Iraq” at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 23, at Macey Center.

AlHaj, known as among the top “oud” performers in the world, will be joined by violinists David Felberg and Ruxandra Marquardt, Luis Barrionuevo on viola and cellist James Holland.

The oud, often referred to as an Arabic lute, is a short-neck, lute-type, pear-shaped instrument with 11 or 13 strings, used predominantly in the music of Western Asia and North Africa. It is considered the grandfather of all string instruments.

“We invite everyone to experience this unique performance at the hands of incredibly talented performing artists,” said PAS Director Ronna Kalish. “And we are so fortunate to offer this concert at no charge, thanks to President Stephen Wells.”

(Pictured at right is Rajim ElHaj with his oud.)

AlHaj created “Letters from Iraq” from the text of actual letters expressing the emotions of Iraqis living in their war-torn country. It is a poignant telling through music of war, its aftermath and its consequences.

“Letters from Iraq is not a political treatise, but rather a meditation on the people who suffer from the effects of a war that is not of their making,” Kalish said. “It is powerful and moving, infused with the sorrow and uncertainty of human beings caught in the crossfire, if you will, of events over which they have no control.”

According to an online review in “Paste,” a monthly music and entertainment digital magazine, “Letters from Iraq is quite elegant and strikingly beautiful at times, built as it is on a series of instrumental tone poems. But the true stories behind these compositions are chilling.”

The “Letters From Iraq” program pieces to be performed are: The Last Time We Fly Birds, Eastern Love, Unspoken Word, Fly Home, Forbidden Attraction, Friendships, Going Home, Running Boy and Warm Voice

AlHaj was born in Baghdad, Iraq and began playing the oud at age nine. In 1991, after the first Gulf War, he was forced to leave Iraq due to his political activism. He moved to the U.S. in 2000 as a political refugee, and has lived in Albuquerque ever since. He continues to perform worldwide and to speak out against oppression in his ongoing mission to “give voice to the voiceless.”

Felberg is concertmaster of the Santa Fe Symphony; music director for the Albuquerque Philharmonic; and associate concertmaster of the New Mexico Philharmonic. He also teaches contemporary music at UNM and is artistic director/co-founder of the music venue Chatter. Felberg has performed as a soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician. He was seen recently in Socorro performing a program with local violinist Eric Sewell and in several concerts with the former Helios Quartet, the precursor ensemble to  the Presidential Chamber Music Series.

Marquardt plays in the Santa Fe Symphony and the New Mexico Philharmonic. Born in Romania, she has performed in national and international competitions and festivals, and maintains a violin studio while performing internationally as a soloist, and in chamber and symphonic orchestras.

Barrionuevo, who began his musical studies at age 10, participated in youth and professional orchestras in São Paulo, as well as international music festivals. He is a graduate Music Performance student at UNM in both violin and viola, and also performs with New Mexico Philharmonic and Santa Fe Symphony orchestras.

Holland is principal cellist, Breckenridge Music Festival. He performs in chamber music ensembles, including the Albuquerque Philharmonic, Santa Fe New Music, and Chamber Music Amarillo, and was formerly in the New World Symphony (Miami) and Charleston Symphony Orchestra.  Holland was a regular in Socorro concerts with violist Willy Sucre.

“We are delighted and humbled to open the 2019-2020 Presidential Chamber Music Series with Rahim AlHaj and his quintet,” Kalish said. “And we invite everyone to stay after the performance and meet these talented musicians.”

— NMT —