About

Musique Royale is delighted to partner with Montreal’s Garage Concerts for our 39th Summer Festival to present Ensemble Urmawi, a quartet of musicians featuring Lamia Yared (vocals, oud), Naeem Shanwar (qanun), Showan Tavakol (kamanche), and Ziya Tabassian (percussion). On tour, the performers will interpret songs from Syrian traditions (Muwashahat) as well as sacred chants from the early Christians of the Orient in Aramaic, and finally some pieces of traditional Persian music. This tour provides a rare opportunity for Nova Scotian audiences to hear these three traditions of music, which intersect both geographically and historically. Concerts will take place at historic venues in Johnstown, Antigonish, on Bell Island, Port Williams and Peggy’s Cove.

This tour is generously supported by Mécénat Musica, a rare and unique cultural program by donors for donors. Read more at mecenatmusica.com.

About the Artists

Lamia Yared – vocals, oud

Singer and oud player of Lebanese origin, Lamia Yared specializes in the repertoires of classical Arabic and Ottoman music. She is involved in various projects aimed at preserving and promoting the musical heritage of the Eastern Mediterranean region. Collaborating with outstanding musicians, she has produced the album “Chants des Trois Cours” (2019), endorsed by Songlines magazine, as well as the album “Ottoman Splendours” (2022), under the Analekta label.

https://www.songlines.co.uk/review/chants-des-trois-cours

Her presence has been noted at numerous festivals in Canada and internationally. As artistic director and musician, she brings together exceptional musicians from diverse cultural backgrounds. She has been invited to present projects with ensembles such as Takht Attourath in France, Labyrinth Musical, La Cigale, Studio de Musique Ancienne de Montréal, One Ecquall Music, Oktoécho, and Ensemble Scholastica. Her projects benefit from grants from CALQ (Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec), CAM (Conseil des arts de Montréal), and CAC (Canada Council for the Arts).

Naeem Shanwar – qanun

Born in Syria in 1986, Naeem Shanwar is a kanun player with a bachelor’s degree in music pedagogy and a master’s degree in musicology (Holy Spirit University of Kaslik).

From 2006 to 2013, Naeem taught at Homs University and in various schools while touring with several bands in his home country. He later pursued his career in Lebanon, where he worked for television channels Noursat, New TV and LBCI TV alongside renowned singers such as Moin Sharif, Marwan Mahfoud, George Alsafe and Ziad Sahab.

Since he moved to Montreal, Naeem has collaborated with the Canadian Arabic Orchestra and performed at the Arab World Festival in both Montreal and Toronto. With a background in Jazz that he developed in Syria, Naeem now wants to turn to this musical style while incorporating eastern music through meetings with musicians based in the city.

Showan Tavakol – kamancheh

Born in 1979 in Tehran, Iran, Showan Tavakol followed undergraduate music studies in the Fine Arts Faculty of the University of Tehran and later completed a master’s degree in kamancheh (a spike vielle) interpretation. He started learning music in 1989 by playing violin and was later attracted to Iranian music and learning kamancheh.

In the pursuit of his interest in ethnomusicology, Showan took lessons in Iran with Mohsen Hajarian and Reza Darvishi, which enabled him to develop an expertise in ethnic & folk instruments. After moving to Québec in 2015, he took master courses in instrumental composition with Ana Sokolovic and Hugues Leclair at the Université de Montréal.

Currently, Showan composes in residency for different ensembles of Montreal. He also signs movie scores for documentaries, short & feature-length films such as Mohammad Raoulof’s Manuscripts don’t burn which was shown at the Festival de Cannes in 2013. As a soloist, he created several pieces for kamancheh and orchestras like the Concerto pour kamancheh et orchestre symphonique which was acclaimed by the jury of Fajr festival’s, one of the most important musical events in Iran. In 2016, Showan wrote and performed a piece for kamancheh and orchestra interpreted by the Nouvel Ensemble Moderne de Montréal (NEM). Finally, he contributed to the creation of three albums by playing violin, piano, double bass, vibraphone, kamancheh, dotar, tamburica and eastern percussions on Ravi Azar Kimia’s On trolley of timepour (in Iran); three kamancheh, double bass and timpani on Suge sarv, produced by Thelemic Art Records (in Germany); and kamancheh, accordion, piano and oud on Parallax View, edited by Ava Khorshid (in Iran).

Ziya Tabassian – percussion

Renowned for his virtuosity and innovative approach to percussion, Ziya Tabassian, embarked on his musical odyssey at the age of ten, immersing himself in the resonant beats of the tombak, in Iran. His journey continued in Quebec, where he melded classical Western percussion with his Eastern roots, studying with Julien Grégoire between 1994 and 2001 and earning a Bachelor’s degree in interpretation from the Université de Montréal. A pivotal moment in Tabassian’s artistic evolution occurred during a transformative residency at The Banff Centre in 2003. Here, he seamlessly blended Iranian percussion with contemporary influences, a fusion that continues to define his distinctive sound.

Tabassian’s global pursuits led him to master classes with luminaries such as Bahman Rajabi, Aziz Alami, Trichy Sankaran, Mısırli Ahmet, Shree Sundarkumar, and Yogesh Samsi. His boundless curiosity and tireless exploration have made him a prominent figure in early music (medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque), contemporary and world music.

As a percussionist, Tabassian’s versatility shines through in collaborations with diverse musical groups, including the Regard Persan trio and Ensemble Caprice. His performances have graced stages in over 40 countries, earning acclaim in prestigious festivals and concert halls.

Supported by the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec and the Canada Council for the Arts, Tabassian’s discography is marked by collaborations with the likes of the Kronos Quartet, Kayhan Kalhor, and Mercan Dede. His solo albums, including « Tombak » (2007), « The Circle of the Cycles » (2017), and « Zarb-e Osul » (2020), showcase his deep exploration of Persian rhythmic cycles. Recently, Tabassian unveiled « Remembrances », an album featuring his original compositions for instrumental ensembles. His compositions are characterized by a rich tapestry of sounds, seamlessly weaving together traditional and modern influences.His artistry continues to captivate audiences, offering a captivating blend of tradition and innovation.

For more please visit: https://urmawiensemble.wixsite.com/urmawi