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Glimpse Syria through the music of the Orontes Guitar Quartet

Group will perform at Campbell River’s Tidemark Theatre
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In their celebration of beauty through music, the Orontes Guitar Quartet from Damascus gives us a glimpse of the real Syria, a country with an extraordinary history of art and culture.

The four talented musicians - Orwa Al-Shara’a, Nazir Salameh, Gaby Al-Botros and Mohammed Mir Mahmoud - play a wide range of musical styles, from classical, jazz and flamenco to romantic, blues and country.

The Tidemark Theatre in partnership with the Campbell River Art Gallery will present the Orontes Guitar Quartet in concert at the Tidemark on May 28.

The Quartet, who have performed with the Syrian National Symphony Orchestra, are in Canada for just a year, thanks to the generosity of the Artist Protection Fund, a New York-based organization that seeks safe havens for gifted artists around the world who are under threat. After first meeting up as students at the Higher Institute of Music in Damascus, three of the Quartet were forced by the civil war to flee to Lebanon, where they met renowned American classical guitarist Susan McDonald. With her help, they obtained fellowships from the APF as Visiting Artists at the University of Victoria. The Orontes Quartet are among the youngest APF fellows and the first to be placed in Canada.

In addition to coaching UVic students and making a recording, the Quartet is performing across B.C. and planning a limited Canadian tour. $5 from each ticket will go to the Immigrant Welcome Centre in support of programs that assist newcomers to Canada to successfully settle in our communities by offering help with housing, access to government and local services, education, and employment as well as assistance in navigating the path to Citizenship.

Plan to spend your evening in the heart of Campbell River’s arts and culture district. At 5 p.m., join Paul Crawford at the Campbell River Art Gallery for a curator’s talk about the current exhibit, Behind The Lines: Contemporary Syrian Art. Learn about the risks and realities of being an artist in war torn Syria today.

Directly following this talk, make your way across the street to the Tidemark gallery to view the Timberline Student Art Exhibit. Meet some of the incredible young artists in our community and hear their personal art journeys at the Timberline Student Art Reception from 5-6:30 p.m. at the Tidemark. Following the art reception, enjoy a celebration of beauty through music with the Orontes Guitar Quartet concert.

Sponsored by the Campbell River Mirror, 99.7 2Day FM and What’s On Digest the Tidemark Theatre and Campbell River Art Gallery present the Orontes Guitar Quartet at the Tidemark on May 28 at 7 p.m. Tickets for the Orontes Guitar Quartet are $22 (+ applicable taxes and fees) and can be purchased at the Tidemark Theatre Box Office Tuesday through Thursday between 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. Tickets are also available online: tidemarktheatre.com OR 287.PINK!