Sunday, February 23, 2025 at 3 pm
NEW YORK ARABIC ORCHESTRA
Layth Sidiq, Artistic Director
The Great Music series is supported, in part, by Ruth Stober and The Stober Lafer Family Foundation and Sandra L. and Steven P. Harris.
MEET THE ARTIST
New York Arabic Orchestra (NYAO)
The New York Arabic Orchestra (NYAO) is a distinguished ensemble dedicated to preserving and promoting Arabic culture through music, fostering cross-cultural understanding, and offering a fresh perspective on musical performance and composition in the United States. Founded in 2007 by the late virtuoso Bassam Saba and percussionist April Centrone, the orchestra has significantly transformed Arabic music education in New York City and has touched the lives of thousands of students and concertgoers worldwide.
Throughout its history, the NYAO has delivered powerful performances at prestigious venues such as Lincoln Center’s Damrosch Park, Detroit Symphony Hall, and international festivals like Festival Músicas do Mundo in Portugal and the Taipei Silk Road Music Conference in Taiwan. These concerts have inspired numerous individuals, including Arab-American adults, to reconnect with their musical heritage and non-native enthusiasts captivated by the richness of Arabic music.
Education stands at the heart of the NYAO’s mission. The orchestra offers rigorous training for its members, conducts university residencies, and provides workshops for inner-city schools and cultural institutions. Their educational outreach has reached thousands of students across the tri-state area and beyond. Notably, NYAO members have collaborated with initiatives like Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Connect, engaging with youth in Harlem, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx, and have participated in special residencies in the Middle East for refugee youth.
Following the passing of co-founder Bassam Saba, the NYAO appointed Grammynominated violinist Layth Sidiq as Artistic Director in April 2021. Under his leadership, the orchestra continues to honor its mission while exploring new horizons in Arabic music.
The NYAO remains committed to its vision of enriching the performance and public discussion of Arabic musical heritage. This commitment is realized through comprehensive educational programs, public performances, and the creation of audio and video recordings, all aimed at preserving and advancing the rich art of Arabic music for future generations.
PROGRAM ORDER AND TRANSLATIONS
Samai Mi
composed by Layth Sidiq
Laktub ‘awra’ el-Shajar, composed by Farid al-Atrash
I will write on the leaves of the trees...
My love has travelled and left me.
Oh, my love, please return...
Enough with the absence and the distance.
I will write on the crossroads...
May God help those who are separated.
Send my message to my beloved.
I will write on the Linden tree...
With my eyelashes and my tearful eyes.
As far as I know, your heart is kind...
What made your heart turn to stone?
I will write my letter on the bird’s wing...
Words written with my tears.
And by God, oh bird, if you see my beloved...
Please deliver my greetings to my love.
I will write on the willow leaves...
Oh, wheel of time, stop turning.
Oh, my love, I fear for you...
That your heart may harden from the distance.
Ya Habibi Kullama Hab al-Hawa
composed by the Rahbani Brothers
Oh, my love, whenever the breeze blows,
And the nightingale sings the whispers of its love, Longing embraces me, and passion overwhelms me,
Like a moth drawn to a flame, lost in its fate.
Weave for my heart, oh my love, a dream, From the light of dawn and the deception of twilight.
Gather me from the loneliness of time, As the breeze gathers the fragrance of narcissus.
Oh, time of love, is there a way back,
To our days when the garden bloomed with smiles?
When we seized the moment and the night
Overflowed with songs, calling us to its season?
That day, we came to him, and he showed his sorrow, Moving gracefully in silken attire.
His eyes shone with an enchanting glow, Like the morning sun on a bright, cloudless day.
Ya ‘eny ‘al Sabr composed by Wadi’ el-Safi
Oh, patience… my heart goes out to you.
You see the tears in our eyes and comfort us, You see the wounds in our hands and heal us.
And when the world forgets us, We find you always by our side, In our steps, in our path, Listening to our sorrows,
Never once refusing, never asking why.
Oh, patience… my heart goes out to you.
A stranger in this land and exile makes nights endless.
In God’s vast earth, I wander with my sighs.
I carry burdens, and my shoulders whisper, “Stay strong,” Holding onto fate, promises, and the weight of blame.
Oh, my heart, where is our harbour? Where is the road leading us?
I’ve been lost in this state for so long, A restless tune drifting with the wind.
I don’t know whom to cry to nor whom to confide in.
Oh, patience… my heart goes out to you.
Oh, long nights of endurance, keeping my tears awake, I am a sailor lost between two shores.
But patience will one day guide our ships,
And we will meet again with those we love.
Oh, patience… my heart goes out to you.
Ana Batnaffas Hurriyeh composed by Ziad Boutros
I breathe freedom; do not cut off my air, And do not push too hard on me, lest we both fall together. You can never erase me,
You must listen to me and talk to me.
And if you think you’re healing me, This is not the right remedy.
I wish you would hear me out enough about what has happened.
Force is what collapses when it stands against ideas.
This world has room for everyone, and the truth will always remain.
And if you want, we can find a solution.
The voice of freedom will always be louder than all other voices, No matter how strong the storm of oppression, No matter how far the darkness spreads.
You can’t paint the whole world in just one color,
Nor can you change the laws of the earth Or the direction of the wind.
I breathe freedom; do not cut off my air, And don’t push too hard on me, lest we both fall together.
Chou Kan Hilo composed by Bassam Saba
Bi Sabah el-Alf el-Talit composed by Osama al-Rahbani
In the morning of the third millennium, there is still hunger, There are homeless children, tears, and cries.
Let’s put an end to wars, O powerful nations, No to poverty, no to oppression, no to racism.
Who are you? I don’t ask,
But your kindness tells me who you are.
I don’t care about your color or religion, I just know that you are my sibling in humanity.
In the morning of the third millennium, There are exiled people, And others who have spent years in prison.
At the dawn of this new era, while the world longs for change, Let’s put an end to injustice and fear, And meet where justice prevails.
I come from this East, the land of faith, Where we have lost the sunrise and the colors of time.
From us to all the peoples of the world, we send our greetings, As one generation leaves and another rises, To the rhythm of freedom.
Raje’ Yit’ammar Libnan
composed by Zaki Naseef
We are returning, rebuilding…
Lebanon is coming back.
It will return more beautiful and greener than before.
Hala Yaba… Hala Yaba… Lebanon is coming back!
Oh, arms of the Lebanese, join us,
In the dance and the song, we are back, we are back!
We have pure intentions, and God is with us.
Our dance is for humanity, a helping hand between brothers.
Our dance is a bond of brotherhood in image and essence.
Our spirit is strength and dignity, bringing joy to the eyes.
It carries a smile that lights up a grieving heart, And in the eyes of the oppressed, a force that repels aggression.
We joined arms, hand in hand, tightly together.
We walked with the stride of a giant, laughing at the wind.
Our presence is a promise of generosity, still waving strong, Announcing a fruitful summer, a season of abundance.
We are returning, rebuilding… Lebanon is coming back.
It will return more beautiful and greener than before.
Hala Yaba… Hala Yaba… Lebanon is coming back!
MUSICIANS
Nano Raies Voice
Kareem Youssef Voice
Megan Gould Violin
Sarah Mueller Violin
Insia Malik Violin
Gideon Forbes Nay
John Murchiso Qanun
Brian Prunka Oud
Hanna Madbak Oud/Guitar
Fadi Saba
Piano
James Royer Bass
Gilbert Mansour Percussion
Jeremy Smith Percussion
MEET THE ARTISTS
NANO RAIES
Nano Raies is a Syrian-American singer, songwriter, composer, and actress known for her powerful voice and genre-blending sound. Combining pop, electronic, Western classical, and traditional Arabic music, she sings in English, Arabic, and French, creating a unique and compelling fusion. A Berklee College of Music graduate, Nano has performed at prestigious venues like Lincoln Center, BAM and Wolf Trap, sharing the stage with renowned artists like Pink Martini and Simon Shaheen. Her music serves as both personal expression and social commentary, addressing identity, resistance, and justice. As the soprano soloist for the New York Arabic Orchestra, she continues to bridge cultures through her artistry, earning recognition from global media.
KAREEM YOUSSEF
Kareem Youssef is a Lebanese American singer in his late 30s. He was born in Lebanon and migrated with his family to Brooklyn, New York, at the age of 2. Growing up surrounded by the culture and listening to his father sing, he fell in love with music, especially that of Wadih el Safi, Mohammed Abdel Wahab, Fairouz, Umm Kulthuum, and many others. Kareem has been active in the church choir from a young age and still leads it as its director. He joined the NYAO in 2011 as a member of the chorus, singing behind his father and the late Bassam Saba, and is honored to be a part of continuing Bassam’s vision for the orchestra.
LAYTH SIDIQ, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Layth Sidiq is a Grammy-nominated violinist, composer, and educator currently serving as the artistic director of the New York Arabic Orchestra and Artist in Residence at NYU Abu Dhabi. He has toured the world, sharing the stage with renowned artists and performing at prestigious venues like the London Jazz Festival, Boston Symphony Hall, WOMEX Expo, and Montreal Jazz Festival. Layth’s first record, Son of Tigris, premiered at the Montreal Jazz Festival in 2016, and he has been featured on multiple award-winning albums.
In 2018, Layth made history as the first Arab to participate in the Seifert International Jazz Violin Competition, where he won 2nd place. He was also honored with the ‘Best International Artist’ award at the 2020 Boston Music Awards.
Driven by his belief that music education is one of the most powerful tools for creating positive change in communities, Layth has collaborated with several NGOs and foundations in the Middle East, including the Kayany Foundation and Action for Hope, providing workshops for aspiring young musicians in Jordan, Iraq, and Lebanon. His work also extends to working with international orchestras and institutions worldwide, where he continues to represent Arabic music education and performance on a global scale.
Act for Lebanon is proud to support the NY Arabic Orchestra as part of Act for Lebanon’s mission to celebrate and preserve Lebanese culture.
Act for Lebanon is a registered 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization in the US, committed to mitigating the suffering of the most vulnerable in Lebanon, supporting education, protecting the children, and preserving the culture while operating impartially, free from any racial, sexual, social, religious, or political prejudice.
To accomplish our mission, we provide vital support to dozens of grassroots partner organizations in Lebanon whose missions include among other things, child protection, education, health, palliative care, women empowerment and human rights.
Because of the unmatched generosity of our donors, Act for Lebanon’s financial support of our partner organizations exceeded six million dollars in just the last few years. Maintaining one of the lowest overhead rates in the non-profit sector, we are recognized for our transparency and efficiency.
Please help us continue to Act for Lebanon!
– Act for Lebanon Board of Directors
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