Fadi Iskandar, Violin, Middle Eastern Musical Traditions, Tucson, AZ  |  2018
Fadi Iskandar is a master violinist from Syria with a deep musical understanding and knowledge of Middle Eastern music, theory, and culture. Trained as a young boy in classical violin, he then learned Middle Eastern music from elders in his community through improvisation and the practice of mastering by ear “maqam” or Middle Easter musical scales not found in Western music. His artistry is influenced by Arabic, Armenian, Syriac, Gypsy, French, Russian, Kurdish, Turkish, and Byzantine musical forms. In 2018 he worked with apprentice Isaac Zarif, a US-born student of Syrian descent.