Started as a Middle Eastern music gathering in 1987 by University of Texas Middle Eastern Ensemble member, Kamran Hooshmand, the 1001 Nights Orchestra continues imparting Middle Eastern culture and music on Austin to this day. Originally playing specifically Persian and Iranian folk songs, the orchestra, ranging from four core musicians to sometimes up to ten for special occasions, has progressed to include not only original compositions, but pieces from South West Asia, the caucuses in the East and the West shores of the Mediterranean. 1001 Night Orchestra, with its unique and exotic sound, has received plenty of praise from Austinites throughout the years, especially for their original score to the 1924 silent film “The Thief of Bagdad” which was featured at South by South West in 2000 and received a Best of Austin Award by the Austin Chronicle. At 10 A.M. on Wednesday the 21st, 1001 Nights Orchestra came in to share with us some traditional music of the Middle East, including some songs off their most recent album, Live from Austin, Texas: Music from the Middle East, Southwest Asia & the Balkans. Check it out here!
1001 Nights Orchestra at KUTX 5.21.14
