Chaldean to Classical Through the Lens of Luay Yousif & Fred Benedetti

About this event

From Chaldean to Classical!

Join UC San Diego for our Intersections Concert series at Park & Market in The Guggenheim Theatre. Hosted by UC San Diego and New York-based violinist Yale Strom, one of the world’s leading ethnographer-artists of klezmer and Romani music and history.

Luay Yousif, violinist, was born in Baghdad, Iraq in 1979. He entered the Institute for Artistic Studies and earned a Diploma of Art with honors. He then studied music at the College of Art, until he left Iraq in 2003.

He was a member of the famed Iraqi Symphony Orchestra for four years, starting in the rear of the violin section and then being promoted to Violin I. During these four years, Mr. Yousif studied violin with professor Fouad Ritha AlSadan. He was also a member of the Iraqi Coral Choir (Firqat Al-Inshad) of the Iraqi Ministry of Education for many years. As a professional musician in Iraq, Mr. Yousif was a member of the Association of Iraqi Artists. He participated in many events and festivals inside and outside of Iraq.

In addition to performing, Mr. Yousif is a composer/arranger, the premiere of “Marya” being one of many works in his portfolio of composition.

Mr. Yousif arrived in the United States in 2007, ultimately residing in San Diego the following year. He is now working as Director of Music for St. Peter Chaldean Catholic Church in Rancho San Diego.  He continues to conduct, compose, and perform throughout San Diego. Mr. Yousif is a proud member of the Violin I section of the Grossmont Symphony Orchestra.

Fred Benedetti was born in Sasebo, Japan, and began playing the guitar at the age of 9.

He began studies of classical guitar at the age of 16 and by age 26 was one of 12 guitarists worldwide to perform in one of the last masterclasses of Maestro Andres Segovia. Fred has performed in the United States, England, Germany, the Czech Republic, Canada, Taiwan, Mexico, and locally with the San Diego Symphony, the San Diego Opera, the Starlight Opera, the American Ballet Company, the Old Globe Theatre, Luciano Pavarotti, and jazz artist Dave Brubeck. He is an emeritus professor of music at Grossmont College where he was the head of the guitar studies program for thirty-eight years.

Equally at home playing classical music or contemporary music, he records on the SBE label and Domo Records with five noted ensembles: Camarada (chamber ensemble), Keltik Kharma (a celtic band), The Odeum Guitar Duo, given the honor by the magazine, Acoustic Guitar, as being one of the ten best independently produced guitar CDs for the year 2000, “Blurring the Edges” a recipient of the 1994 San Diego Music Awards “Best Pop-Jazz” album of the year featuring jazz musicians Peter,Tripp, and Hall Sprague, and the acclaimed Benedetti/Svoboda Guitar Duo.

Hosted by UC San Diego and New York-based violinist Yale Strom, one of the world’s leading ethnographer-artists of klezmer and Romani music and history.

Park & Market
1100 Market Street
San Diego, CA 92101

Schedule:
Senses Bistro will offer a cash bar & dinner starting at 5 p.m.
Venue doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Performance starts at 7:00 p.m.