About Georges Lammam
Selected Performance Highlights
1991 – 2007 Instructor, Arabic singing and violin: Middle Eastern Music and Dance Camp, Mendocino, California.1995 –96, 2000, 2002, 2005/06 Instructor, University of California, Berkeley. Arabic music, instrumental ensemble and singing.
1997 1st International Conference on Middle Eastern Dance, Orange County College, Costa Mesa, California. Joined international ensemble in concert with supserstar dancers, Mona el Said, from Egypt and Amani, from Lebanon.
1999 Soloist and instructor, Yousry Sharif Weeklong Seminar, New York City.
1999-2000 Collaboration with well-known instructor and dance artist, Shareen el Safy, introducing an educational performance forum: Mohammed Abdel Wahab, Egypt’s Master Artist: A Dancer’s Guide to Exploring the Oriental Form, presented in locations throughout the United States.
1999-2004 Music director of the Georges Lammam Ensemble in eight concert performances each year for the theatrical pieces, Jewels, Dreams, Orientalia, Eclipse of the Moon, Leylet al-Tarab and Umm Khoulthoum produced and directed by Cassandra Shore, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
2000 The Georges Lammam Ensemble. Summerfest, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
2000 The Georges Lammam Ensemble in concert, produced by Polly Ferber, Handsprings Productions, Santa Fe, New Mexico. Instructed music classes at Santa Fe College.
2000 Performer joining notable world musicians, including Omar Farouk Teklibek and Haig Manookian from the United States, for a cultural presentation at III Encontro Internacional de Musicas e Dancas Etnicas, Universidade Anhembi Morumbi, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
2000-2001& 2004 The Georges Lammam Ensemble selected to perform in the Annual San Francisco World Music Festivals, San Francisco, California.
2000-2003 Featured live music for Shareen el Safy week-long seminar at Shambala, California.
2000-2004 The Georges Lammam Ensemble selected to perform in the Annual Cotati Accordion Festival, Cotati, California.
2001 The Georges Lammam Ensemble, Hearts United, Paramount Theatre, Oakland, CA, in a benefit for the World Trade Center victims.
2001 Georges Lammam, featured artist with Ancient Future in the Mozart Festival, San Luis Obispo, CA.
2001 Georges Lammam, featured artist with Shabaz, (Pakistani fusion) on program with featured international artist, Simon Shaheen and Middle Eastern fusion ensemble Al-Qantara in “Oasis of Understanding” sponsored by US OMEN, an international charitable organization.
2002 The Georges Lammam Ensemble in concert and lecture/workshop at Middlebury College, Middlebury, Vermont.
2002 Georges Lammam, featured artist with Ancient Future fusion ensemble at Lake Tahoe World Music Arts Festival and Grass Valley Arts Festival.
2002 The Adventures of Prince Achmed, German silent film, 1926. The Georges Lammam Ensemble performed an original score live for 4 performances at Fine Arts Cinema, Berkeley, California.
2002 Eternal Egypt Exhibit, Legion of Honor Museum, San Francisco, CA.
2003, 2005 Art and Soul Festival, Oakland, CA.
2003 Arab Festival 2003, Seattle, WA.
2003 Benefit for Tikkun, an organization working for peace and reconciliation between Israel and Palestine, San Francisco, CA.
2003-2005 Annul Live Benefit Concert for the children of Deir Ibzia Refugee Camp, Palestine, La Pena Cultural Center, Berkeley, CA.
2004 Sacred Arts and Music Faire, Auburn, CA.
2005 Ancient Future Tour of the Northwest, Georges Lammam, featured artist.
2005 Traveling Jewish Theatre, San Francisco, CA. Original score for “Blood Relative”, directed by Aaron Davidman.
2006 Eternal Egypt Exhibit, De Young Museum, San Francisco, CA.
2006 Concert for Community Action Series, funded by La Pena Cultural Center, Berkeley, CA, in conjunction with Arab Community and Cultural Center.
2006 Concert and workshops with Ancient Future at University of Rhode Island.
2006 Music director of the Georges Lammam Ensemble in 10 concert performances for the theatrical production, Sawwa, produced and directed by Cassandra Shore, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Discography
Al Azifan recorded in 1989 with his brother, Antoine, surveying popular music from many countries in the Middle East.Valley of the Kings recorded in 1990 with other Bay Area musicians, featuring original music by Reda Darwish as well as new interpretations of popular classics.
Melodic Musings a recording from 1993 of solo improvisation by Mr. Lammam, exhibiting his power and virtuosity as well as the subtlety and introspection with which he masters his instrument and the Arabic maqam system.
Studies for Arabic Music a compilation of studies in widely used maqamat with accompanying cassette of musical examples.
Souk al Amir an exotic musical journey through timeless royal vision, featuring the instrumental mastery of craftsmen plying their trades with the most ancient and modern technological sound offerings. Released August 1995.
Meditations from the Holy Land instrumental arrangements of Jewish Melodies with Tal Skloot, Israeli guitarist/arranger.
Georges Lammam plays Mohammed Abdel Wahab, “Fyom Wehlele”, A Suite for Dance recorded in 1998, this 30-minute musical set which includes excerpts from two works by the inimitable Mohammed Abdel Wahab, an original violin taksim, drum solo and finale is not only for special utilization by dancers as a complete program but also a beautiful collection for general listening.
Dezeo, Consuelo Luz ancient Sephardic prayers and love songs sung in Ladino and Hebrew to new, passionate life in a blend of "World Music" style arrangements. Mr. Lammam’s plaintive violin melodies from the soul of the Arabic culture add flavor to this lovely collection.
San Francisco World Music Festival 2001 a compilation of highlights from the masterful concerts presented during this first annual festival, including the Georges Lammam Ensemble.
Planet Passion, Ancient Future Matthew Montfort, guitarist and fusion pioneer orchestrated this beautiful CD using flavors from music of the Arabic world.
Shabaz combines 11 generations of vocal history with the wicked rhythms of the dance floor for a modern global sensibility. This debut recording entwines ecstatic Qawwali singing, instruments ancient and modern, and contemporary grooves for an intoxicating 21st century fusion. Within the colorful palette, the Arabic violin of Georges Lammam adds an exotic hue.
Selsebil newly-composed music by Elias Lammam, Oriental accordionist, in addition to a classic composition by Mohammed Abdel Wahab featuring world-class nay player, Bashir Abdel Al, Antoine Lammam (darbukka) and Georges Lammam (violin) (2002).
Kabbalah features instrumental arrangements of Jewish songs, prayers, and chants. A unique world music collection created by Tal Skloot for meditation and spiritual deepening performed on violin (by Georges Lammam), clarinet, flute, harp, cello, guitar, piano, and percussion (including the Arabic stylings of Antoine Lammam).
Holly Near-Show UP features Georges Lammam on “Lives in the Balance”.
Dreaming the Diaspora newest release (August 2006) by Georges Lammam featuring original music artfully blending Eastern and Western musical sensibilities.
GEORGES LAMMAM
the second of three brothers who are professional musicians, has appeared on stage since the age of 15. Of Palestinian descent, born in Beirut, Lebanon and living for 14 years in the United Arab Emirates, Mr. Lammam is well-known in the Middle East and the United States as a solo violinist exemplifying the Arab style of instrumental improvisation and lyricism. Currently living in San Francisco, California, he co-founded Amorfia Productions to proliferate Arabic arts in the West.
He is artistic director of The Georges Lammam Ensemble that tours nationally and has performed at the San Francisco World Music Festival, The Legion of Honor Museum during the Eternal Egypt Exhibit, for special exhibits at The De Young Museum in San Francisco and The Fine Arts Cinema in Berkeley, presenting live, an original score for the 1926 silent animated classic film from Germany, The Adventures of Prince Ahmed.
During the 1st International Conference on Middle Eastern Dance at Orange Coast College in Southern California, he headlined with international dance stars, Mona el Said from Egypt and Amani, from Lebanon. Mr. Lammam was featured soloist and instructor for the Yousry Sharif Weeklong Seminar, New York City and he joined Farouk Tekbilek and other notable world musicians from the United States for a cultural presentation at III Encontro Internacional de Musicas e Dancas Etnicas, Universidade Anhembi Morumbi, Sao Paulo, Brazil. For seven seasons, Mr. Lammam was music director for the Jawaahir Dance Theatre, under the direction of Cassandra Shore in Minneapolis, Minnesota. As solo artist, he performed his original score for "Blood Relative", a timely play directed by Aaron Davidman with the Traveling Jewish Theater in San Francisco, California.
Mr. Lammam is instructor of violin and Arabic singing at the annual Middle Eastern Music and Dance Camp in Mendocino, California and has taught Arabic music ensemble and vocal classes at the University of California at Berkeley, Humboldt State University, Santa Fe College and Middlebury College in Vermont
In addition to his own discography, Mr. Lammam records as a featured artist with two notable fusion groups, Shabaz and Ancient Future and has performed in a select ensemble under the direction of Mickey Hart. "Dreaming the Diaspora", his new recording of original music fusing Eastern and Western musical sensibilities was released in August, 2006.
