Founder
Mohamed A. Alsiadi received his B.A. from the Damascus Music Conservatory, where he specialized in oud performance and conducting. He studied with renowned oudist Nadim Al Darwish, the son of composer and scholar Ali Al Darwish, for many years. He performs on an Iraqi oud made by the oud master Yaroub Mohammed Fadel. A regular guest of international festivals both as a soloist and chamber musician, Alsiadi has recently performed at the Royal Conservatory in Toronto, the national auditorium in Madrid, the historic Nidaros Cathedral in Norway, GUST University in Kuwait, and Merkin Hall in New York City. Other highlights include his debuts at Vienna Konserthaus in 2012 and Carnegie Hall in 2015 with The Malek Jandali Trio, Skoll World Forum 2016, and Sydney Opera House. Alsiadi is the founder of The Aleppo Ensemble and is presently working to finalize his new album titled "Music of Aleppo". Alsiadi has also directed several concert series and festivals on Arabic music, and he has developed an extensive and exceptionally varied catalogue of Arabic music recordings. At various international conferences, he has presented research on song forms central to Middle Eastern music, namely Arabic-sung poetry called qasida, and the Aleppian Wasla, a song-form that is one of the foundations of Syrian songs. Alsiadi moved from Aleppo, Syria to New York City in 1996, becoming a professor of Arabic Language, Literature and Culture. He is currently the lead professor and director for the Arabic studies program at Fordham University, and he is the chair of the US-MidEast program at the Center for the Study of Genocide and Human Rights at Rutgers University. He is finalizing his doctorate in American Studies at Rutgers University and his research interests include Arab-American relations; the impact of Mideast-West relations on contemporary Arabic music and literature; and the diaspora of the Aleppian Wasla in the West. Over the last two decades, he has provided academic leadership, engaged in discussions and offered advice and support to fellow Syrians on civic society, academia and human rights. Alsiadi has been interviewed and been an analyst on TV and radio for a wide range of media sources including PBS, HuffPost LIVE, Al Jazeera ABC, CBS , and Great Decisions in Foreign Policy. Each year, Alsiadi supports concerts for young audiences, and his performance groups offer master classes and other performance opportunities for our public schools and universities. Alsiadi is a dedicated professor committed to educating our youth about Middle Eastern chamber music and introducing students to the joys of the Aleppian Wasla, a traditional genre of Arab music. Alsiadi currently serves on the faculty of Rutgers University and Fordham University in New York City and teaches master classes in the U.S. and abroad.
Co-Founder
In the late 19th Century, Albert Paul (A. P.) Joseph's grandparents immigrated from the Mount Lebanon region of Ottoman Syria to the United States. His grandfather, father and uncle performed Arabic music from the Levant. A. P.'s musical aesthetics have always been influenced by growing up in a household that perpetuated the Syrian-Lebanese culture. After graduating with a B. A. in Economics from The George Washington University and an M. B. A. from Columbia University in 1976, A. P. pursued a career in international banking. Initially based in New York, followed by Cairo, Bahrain, Riyadh, Jeddah, Frankfurt and then back to New York. From 1993 to the Present A. P. has been studying, practicing, rehearing and performing music from the Levant, Egypt and Morocco. In the last years he has focused exclusively on the Music of Aleppo, Syria. A. P. studied the oud with Simon Shaheen (1993-2000), followed by two trips to Lebanon to study with Andre Hajj (2000), Charbel Rouhana (2001), then finally with Abdulrahim Alsiadi (2003). In order to further his understanding of the components of Arabic musical culture A. P. studied percussion and rhythms from 1998-Present, starting with Glen Velez (1998) at the Arabic Music Retreat at Mount Holyoke College. Subsequently he studied with Alexandre Tannous, Michel Merhij Baklouk, Amir Naoum Chehade, and Rami el-Asser. Furthermore, A. P. studied musical Maqamat and History of the music of the Levant and Egypt at the Arabic Music Retreat with Simon Shaheen and George Sawa. A. P. started focusing his interest on the music of Aleppo, Syria based on discussions and listening sessions with his close friend and scholar, Jonathan Shannon from 1995 to the Present. A. P.'s oud lessons with Abdulrahim Alsiadi were much more than music lessons. They included all types of information about the history and culture of Aleppo as an important cultural and music center along the Silk Road since at least the 3rd millennium B. C. He has collaborated on Aleppian music projects with Abdulrahim Alsiadi for over 15 years. A. P. has attended the Wavelengths: Association of Performing Arts Professionals (APAP) World Music Pre-Conference for the past 4 years. As an active percussionist A. P. has performed at Alwan for the Arts, Photoville located in the Brooklyn Bridge Park, Brooklyn, Rutgers University, Fordham University. Also, he has performed in restaurants, nightclubs, including the Lafayette Grill, Mezzo Mezzo, Sultan, Al Khayam, He has also performed for various Aleppian Jewish events in Brooklyn and New Jersey. Since 2011 A. P. has specialize on performing the Aleppian Waslah, a multisectional form of music consisting of several vocal and instrumental sections based on a family of modes or maqamat. A. P. has performed all or part of the Waslah with following singers from Aleppo: Shadi Jamil, Ahmed Khairy, Wajdi Ayoud, Yousef Shamoun and Faraj Abyad.
Aleppo Ensemble is based in NYC
Aleppo Ensemble
Emma Bruno
aleppoensemble@gmail.com