Mehmet Ali Sanlikol 

Composer, multi-instrumentalist, and ethnomusicologist, Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol earned a Bachelor's degree from Berklee College of Music, a Master's in Jazz Composition from New England Conservatory of Music and a Doctor of Musical Arts in Composition from the New England Conservatory. Sanlıkol is the president and one of the founders of Dünya, an organization dedicated to contemporary presentations of Turkish traditions. Sanlıkol chooses projects in which music connects disparate ethnic and religious groups through devotion, longing, celebration and joy. Currently Sanlıkol is pursuing this idea with a new program entitled "Jews and Sufis: A Shared Musical Tradition." Sanlıkol has taught at Berklee College of Music, New England Conservatory, Emerson College and Brown University.

Born in Lebanon, Mireille Tannous began singing as a soloist at her church before

she moved to the U.S. in 1978. A few years later, Tannous became a member of the Harvard Music Study Group and performed throughout Boston, singing songs by Fayrouz (aka, Nouhad Wadi Haddad, the most famous living singer in the Arab world who still sparks Lebanese national pride). Tannous was introduced to Zamir by her Palestinian conductor eleven years ago when she participated in a Zamir concert at Regis College. Tannous participates in the annual Arabic Music Retreat at Mount Holyoke College, led by the Palestinian composer and musician Simon Shaheen. She is currently the soloist at the Lebanese Maronite church in Worcester,  and sings at many haflis (Lebanese dances). 

Boston City Singers