Carpinteria Concert for Peace in the Middle East

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A Concert for Middle East Peace will be performed by the UCSB Middle East Ensemble on October 27 at 5pm at The Alcazar Theater in Carpinteria.   The concert will feature traditional music and instruments, dancers in traditional costumes, and stories about the origins of the music.

The ensemble members include Muslims, Jews and Christians, and their repertoire reflects the great variety and richness of cultures found in the Middle East.

The concert is the brainchild of Larry Nimmer, a film producer, who wondered how a small town like Carpinteria might help the Middle East peace process. He has been promoting  peace with his annual Carpinteria to Santa Barbara Dance for Peace, and he wanted to expand his efforts. He explored organizing a concert with a Palestinian and an Israeli musician.  While he did not find any such duet, he did come across the UCSB Middle East Ensemble and they have become enthusiastic participants.  Nimmer says that, “During these divisive times, it will be an opportunity to celebrate our common humanity.  Music can inspire people to work together to accomplish goals unimagined by individuals acting alone.”

The UCSB Middle East Ensemble’s founding director Professor Scott Marcus will precede each piece in the concert with introductions to the music’s cultural background.  Marcus has lead the Ensemble for the last 35 years.

Santa Barbara based ShelterBox USA is sponsoring the evening.  ShelterBox works around the world to ensure no one is without shelter after disasters.  Currently, they are working in the Middle East. 

To purchase the $20 tickets, or for more information, go to www.TheAlcazar.org .  The Alcazar Theater is located at 4916 Carpinteria Ave, Carpinteria, CA 93013.  Producer Larry Nimmer can be contacted at larry@nimmer.net or call 805 708-4753.  Music Director Scott Marcus can be reached at  smarcus@music.ucsb.edu, and ShelterBox’s Paul Vercammen can be reached at PVercammen@shelterboxusa.org.