Spice Route Ensemble
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- Spice Route Ensemble
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Spice Route Ensemble
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- Did You Know?
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Bruce Kaminsky was involved in an historic command performance at the United Nations, leading to the signing of the Israeli-Jordanian Peace Accord.
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The Spice Route Ensemble is comprised of internationally acclaimed musicians of diverse Middle Eastern and Eastern Mediterranean traditions working towards the common goal of producing excellent music. The Ensemble believes that this musical excellence serves as an example of multicultural cooperation. The featured musicians include, Bruce Kaminsky, Adib Rafela, Bill Koutsouros, and Michele Tayoun. The Spice Route offers Journey into Middle Eastern assembly and residency programs, as well as educator professional development sessions.
The first Spice Route performance was at the Francis Scott Key School in South Philadelphia on September 24, 2001, just 13 days after the devastating attack on the Twin Towers. This and other current events mantled the Spice Route Ensemble with the challenge of putting human faces to ethnic groups and cultures that many only know through the news. It also gave a familiar sound to students of Middle Eastern extraction who feared a level of isolation.
The Spice Route Ensemble has been featured in the Philadelphia Inquirer newspaper and on National Public Radio. Their programs have been recommended by the University of Pennsylvania Center on Middle Eastern Studies and The Israeli Consulate.