Mal Barsamian

His lengthy resume features acclaimed performances with the late Esber Korporcu, an important figure in Boston’s Middle Eastern music community, and Barsamian also appeared with jazz and middle eastern music composer Mehmet Sanlikol’s Dünya music ensemble at concerts at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, specifically focusing on music of minority composers of the Ottoman period. As a specialist in music written by Armenian composers active in Istanbul during the later years of the Ottoman Empire, this concert featured Barsamian’s virtuosic and masterful clarinet interpretations of several historical compositions. Barsamian also worked with Dünya as a featured instrumentalist for a concert on the history of Turkish music since the Renaissance period in Istanbul. Rounding out his Middle Eastern and Balkan musical background and expertise, Barsamian has performed at numerous events featuring Greek Rebetiko music, including festivals, folk performances, and formal concerts. In this vein, Barsamian has also been featured on the oud and guitar with renown Greek folk singer Sophia Bilides at the Smithsonian and Library of Congress. Barsamian has also performed as a featured clarinetist with the Middle Eastern Ensemble at Berklee College of Music performing Eastern Armenian music.