Makam New York Ensemble is set to enchant audiences with an exceptional showcase of classical Sufi music. The ensemble will present a distinctive repertoire highlighting authentic instruments such as ney (end-blown reed flute), kanun (zither), and tanbur (long-necked lute). The performance will encompass various musical forms deeply rooted in the Sufi tradition, including ilahi, naat, kaside, and durak. These compositions have evolved over centuries, nurtured under the patronage of the Ottoman Empire, embodying the rich artistic heritage of Sufi culture. Attendees can anticipate an evening that promises a profound spiritual journey through the enchanting realms of Sufi music.

Ahmet Erdogdular, vocals & percussion
Matthew Sellier, tanbur (long-necked lute)
Sait Yilmaz, ney (end-blown reed flute)
Selim Engin, kanun (zither)

Ahmet Erdogdular is renowned for his sophisticated singing style and is the only performer of some of the vocal forms of the Ottoman classical tradition. The New York Times deemed his voice “voluptuous and pliable” and his program “intoxicating.” His repertory focuses on classical forms such as kâr, beste, fasil, koçekçe, classical songs, and gazel (vocal improvisation); as well as the Sufi forms including the naat in Mevlevi ayins, durak, mevlid, ilahi (hymns) and kaside (improvisation on religious poetry), as essential components of the Sufi remembrance ceremony. He specialized in Turkish gazel technique, while his academic research is on the use of music and poetry in gazel forms of the late Ottoman period. Erdogdular holds a PhD from the Department of Music at the Istanbul University Faculty of Divinity. Erdogdular is the president of Makam-New-York, Inc., a non-profit organization for Turkish classical music and arts, and founder of the Annual Turkish Music Institute Workshop in NYC. He was a visiting scholar at Columbia University and the CUNY, Graduate Center Ethnomusicology, Artist in Residence at the Center for Traditional Music, and Dance and is the director of the Rutgers-University-Middle East-Music-Orchestra. He also plays tanbur, lute, and percussion.

www.makamnewyork.org