The Center for Middle Eastern Classical Music, which has been active in Jerusalem for the last 25 years under the auspices of the Education Ministry as an advanced arts school, has begun awarding academic credit for its theoretical courses covering classical music from a variety of near eastern cultures – Persia, Turkey, India, Greece, and North Africa, meaning that for the first time in Israel, students can earn a BA in this often-overlooked musical genre
The courses cover flamenco music and a range of subgenres of Jewish music.
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Since it was founded, the center taught hundreds of students who went on to play and teach traditional forms of middle eastern or oriental music.
Dr. Avi Shoshani, founder and director of the Center for Middle Eastern Classical Music, told Israel Hayom, "Who would have believed we'd see this joyful day for middle eastern culture and those who take an interest in the near eastern culture that is precious to them. You have to understand that classical oriental music is an expression of the oriental spirit, which is different from the western one."
"Instruments and styles of singing that have been forgotten in Israel since the state was founded have been resurrected thanks to the center's activity. Including classical middle eastern music in the canon of Israeli culture allows for a more pluralistic society that includes all its tribes and creates solidarity and unity between everyone," Shoshani said.
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