Performances + Events
On October 27, Hasan Imam Hamdani ’28 DM, a doctoral candidate in NEC’s Contemporary Musical Arts Department, will bring together scholars, artists, entrepreneurs, and other authorities for Sound and Music in the Muslim World, a daylong conference that “highlights the historic and continuing role of sound-based practices in religious experience and everyday life across Muslim communities and societies.”
Hamdani organized the event with support from the Presser Foundation’s Graduate Music Award, NEC’s Intercultural Institute, and the Reed Society for the Sacred Arts.
The conference will include panel discussions on oral tradition and memorization, music education in Muslim communities, and understanding Islam through its art. In a closing address, Hamdani will reflect on the significance of sound in Islamic theology and Muslim practices.
An evening concert will showcase Hindustani (classical), Arabic, Turkish, and Moroccan music performed by Hamdani, Samir Langus, Jawwad Noor, NEC faculty member and Intercultural Institute Director Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol, and Firas Zreik, among other artists.
Sound and Music in the Muslim World takes place on Tuesday, October 27 in NEC’s Brown Hall. The conference runs from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the concert follows at 6 p.m. The conference and concert are free and open to the public. Learn more and register here.
About Hasan Imam Hamdani
Hasan Imam Hamdani is the artistic leader of the Imam Collective, “a community of musicians that explores and threads music disciplines from around the world.” His debut EP, Solitude, blends West African and Indian classical traditions, and his latest release, Averroes, draws inspiration from the writings of 12-century philosopher Ibn Rushd of al-Andalus.
Hamdani has presented the lecture series Islamic Soundscapes at the Reed Society for the Sacred Arts, developed the workshop Questions for the Music Curious, and is the creator and host of the podcast Music Education in the Muslim World. He has been an artist-in-residence at Strathmore and at Montgomery College’s Spring World Arts Festival, has served as music director of the Global Music Ensemble at Towson University, and teaches world music and American music history at Montgomery College.
Hamdani received the Presser Foundation’s Graduate Music Award in recognition of his artistic and scholarly work. His research at NEC examines sound, music, and the theological concepts of Islam.
Watch and listen to an NEC Studio Session featuring Hamdani and NEC faculty member Mal Barsamian.
