Kaman Fantasy

Kaman Fantasy (pronounced KA-men) takes its name from ‘kamanjah,’ the Arabic word for ‘violin.’ The piece is an exploration of the Arabic ‘maqamat’ (sets of scales) and rhythms in a Western classical context. The music embraces both traditions, often swaying back and forth between Arabic and Western idioms. As a first generation Arab-American, I have often found myself shifting between both cultures in the way that I think and act, sometimes voluntarily, most times not. Kaman Fantasy is a reflection on those experiences. With great gratitude, I express thanks to violinist Basma Edrees and pianist Ava Nazar for bringing the version for violin and piano to life in February 2015 — and to violinist Michelle Tseng, who spent many hours with me workshopping that work before the final double bar. I adapted this work for wind ensemble from its 2014 chamber version, scored for violin and piano.