Layth Sidiq (right) and Naseem Alatrash perform tonight in Old Lyme.

This evening three extraordinarily talented string musicians — Layth Sidiq, Naseem Alatrash and Aleen Murad Masoud, who is also a vocalist — will come together at the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme to present an evening concert, which forms the opening event of the 2015 Tree of Life Conference, which continues at the church the following day.

Violinist Layth Sidiq

Born in Baghdad and raised in Amman, Jordan, Sidiq is a leading Middle Eastern violinist on the world music stage.  Nurtured within a musical family, he began the violin at age four and trained at the National Music Conservatory in Amman before going on to study at Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester, England.  Sidiq continued his violin studies at Berklee College of Music, where he graduated with the highest honors receiving a BMus in Violin Performance.  Since then he has pursued a career as a soloist, chamber musician and recording artist performing at concerts and festivals throughout the U.S., Europe and the Middle East.

Cellist Naseem Alatrash

A globally acclaimed Palestinian cellist, Alatrash is an accomplished classically trained musician and improviser of diverse styles.  After studying at the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music in Palestine, he attended Berklee College of Music, where he achieved the highest honors for BMus in Cello Performance.  A soloist, recording musician, chamber musician, and teacher, Alatrash continues to pursue his global performance career.

He has featured at The Kennedy Center and in the Aldeburgh World Orchestra at the London Proms and Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw.  Twice awarded “String Player of the Year” in Palestine’s National Music Competition, Alatrash continues to be a voice for Palestinian culture and an advocate of its music.

Masoud originates from Palestine and is a third year student at Bethlehem University.  She began studying the violin at Edward Said National Conservatory for Music at the age of 10 and now works as a violin teacher at Sounds of Palestine in Aida refugee camp.  Masoud will join Four Corners not only as a violinist, but also as a vocalist singing in both Arabic and English.

Aleen Murad Masoud will sing and play the violin during tonight’s concert.

Violinist Sidiq and cellist Alatrash met while studying music at Berklee College of Music in Boston, where, along with two other students at the College, they formed the highly successful ‘Four Corners Quartet.’ The group not only performs in variety of genres including classical, but also writes its own music.  They will bring their different ethnic backgrounds and musical styles to Old Lyme creating a concert that is both original and intriguing.

Interviewed by phone in Boston, Sidiq said, “We are very excited to come and perform in Old Lyme.”  Asked if the concert was intended to give a particular message, Sidiq responded, “I’m not a politician.  I’m an artist, a musician, a performer.  We deal in music – that’s our art form and that what brings us together.” He added, “Our hope is that others will find their own art form – or any form – that brings them together, working together rather than against each other.”

Asked how the original members of the quartet, who respectively come from Jordan, Palestine, the US and England, work so well together without conflict despite their differing backgrounds, Sidiq explained, “I don’t even know what their religions are.  We never bring it up … we discuss music and sometimes spirituality.”  He added, “We’re eager to come and spread our musical message with this audience.”

The group plans to host a question and answer session immediately after the concert, something to which they have found the audience especially responsive at previous concerts.

Doors open at 6 p.m. and the concert will begin at 6:30 p.m.  Admission is $10 for the concert and reception following the concert or $35 for the concert plus the next day’s speaker program and Middle Eastern dinner following that program.  All are welcome.

All proceeds from the event will benefit the Tree of Life Educational Fund.

For more information and ticket reservations, contact 860.434.8686.  Tickets will also be available at the door.

The First Congregational Church of Old Lyme is located at the intersection of Ferry Road and Lyme Street, Old Lyme, CT.

About the Tree of Life Educational Fund

The Tree of Life Educational Fund (TOLEF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that strives to provide cross-cultural and transnational travel experiences, interfaith conferences and educational opportunities, helping participants to become more enlightened and engaged in making this a more just and peaceful world. Established by the FCCOL in 2002, TOLEF today operates independently, supported by organizations and individuals committed to peace and justice. This year’s Conference speakers and musicians will also be appearing in TOLEF programs at more than a dozen other locations in New England and as far away as Seattle and Portland, Oregon.