The Project

Saturday February, 8pm, Inside concert

Fly Haunting many-stringed instruments from around the world

Daniel Berkman is a San Francisco based composer, multi-instrumentalist and innovator of the kora (a 21-stringed harp/lute from West Africa). His early recordings for kora highlighted his use of electronic devices and loop boxes to transform his kora in real time in live performance. His first three cd's, "Heartstrings", "Feverdreams" and "Headlands" mark this period between 1996 and 2000 which feature Daniel creating other worldly soundscapes and a playing technique drawing on his myriad influences, including that of the great kora masters of our time. While on the road as guitarist and kora player with Djali Kunda Kuyate (the twins) in December of 2002 through Senegal, Gambia and Mali, Daniel not only studied kora and ngoni with various masters there but captured his experiences on minidisc. Daniel has also composed many eclectic scores for choreographers and dance companies in San Francisco, including Sarah Shelton Mann, ODC, Company Chaddick, Lizz Roman and Dancers, and Kunst-Stoff.

Gary Haggerty is sought-after for his very personal and heartfelt approach to music. In addition to performing with world music groups Janam, The Helladelics, Eliyahu and the Qadim Ensemble, Hamed Nikpay, and numerous other Bay Area Balkan ensembles, he is a luthier and spends many hours making instruments–repairing old sazes and ouds he finds and coaxing out the true voice of these treasures. Gary has studied with oud master Naseer Shamma. He has toured with the Mevlevi Dervish (Sufi) Order of America and continues to participate in Turkish ceremonial and devotional gatherings around the country.

Peter Maund, percussion A native of San Francisco, Peter Maund studied percussion at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and music, folklore and ethnomusicology at the University of California, Berkeley. A founding member of Ensemble Alcatraz and Alasdair Fraser’s Skyedance, he has performed with early and contemporary music ensembles including Alboka, Anonymous 4, Berkeley Contemporary Chamber Players, Chanticleer, Davka, El Mundo, The Harp Consort, Hesperion XX, Kitka, Los Cenzontles, Musica Pacifica, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and Voices of Music, among others. Described by the Glasgow Herald as “the most considerate and imaginative of percussionists” he can be heard on over 50 recordings.

Sarah Michael received her B.Mus. in music history from San Francisco State University and M. A. in composition from Mills College. She has been playing and studying Middle Eastern music for the last twenty years, primarily with the great composer and accordion virtuoso Elias Lammam. She has performed on the kanun with groups including Aswat, Flowers of the Nile, Elias Lammam ensemble, the Mevlevi Mutrib, El Azifoon, and Ya Layl. Prior to that she had an energetic career in Early music as a viola da gamba player, and as a composer.

Diana Rowan based in the San Francisco Bay Area, holds a PhD in Music Theory (world harp composition techniques), plus an MM in Piano Performance (classical.) She presents rave-review workshops, lectures worldwide and runs Bright Knowledge Academy, an online college for dedicated musicians. Her first book, World Harp Techniques was released Fall 2015. She can be heard on many CDs and soundtracks, including her solo albums Panta Rhei, The Bright Knowledge, and the forthcoming As Above, So Below ( Diana Rowan music). Diana's 30+ year performance career spans venues such as the World Harp Congress in Australia, Washington DC's Smithsonian, the US Embassy in Vietnam, and Eastern European cathedrals.

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