Join us for CAC’s 5th Annual Concert on June 6th, 2026! Ticket sales are online only so don’t wait!

• Regular ticket $30/ person

• Student ticket $25/ person (with Student ID verification at check in)

Held at Tufts University’s breathtaking Distler Performance Hall in the Granoff Music Center, this year’s annual CAC concert will feature songs representing over 8 countries in the Arab World.

Our performers include…

CAC’s JAZAL Adult Choir

CAC Children’s Choir

CAC Youth Orchestra

& a Music Ensemble of Local and Internationally Acclaimed Musicians—with a special appearance by Soumaya Marose & her dance ensemble, and featuring fashion design by Salwa Gardaf!

Concert Venue Directions and Parking

Venue Address:

Granoff Music Center

20 Talbot Ave

Medford, MA 02155

Best parking options (in yellow on the map):

1) Granoff Side Lot next to the music center, off of College Avenue and Lower Campus Road

2) Tennis Courts Garage under the tennis/basketball courts, off of Lower Campus Road behind the Aidekman Arts Center

3) Dowling Hall Garage at 419 Boston Avenue, Medford, across campus (note: this location is a ten-minute walk from Granoff Music Center)

4) On Talbot Avenue (including spaces listed as “Employee Parking Only”)

After parking, drivers should:

• Enter the music center & scan parking permit/QR code in the main Granoff lobby

• Parking costs $10 flat rate for the entire day and evening

• Drivers need credit card & their license place number and state

• The permit is then stored digitally; no need to print or put anything in the vehicle!

Note: Visitors are NOT allowed to park in the open air lot directly behind Aidekman, only in the garage across the street from there as listed above.

Anyone parking on College Avenue, which is City of Somerville parking, risks getting a ticket from the city.

Meet Our Musicians:

Rami Abuolaya - Nay & Flute

Rami is a Boston-based musician born and raised in Palestine, where he studied Arabic music at Al Kamandjati Music School, and later became an instructor in nay and flute. Rami has shared the stage with world-class musicians such as Simon Shaheen, Titi Robin, Ramzi Aburedwan, and Faraj Suleiman. He has participated in renowned music festivals such as Eid Al Musica Festival and Humanity Festival of Paris.

Rami has made multiple television appearances on Palestine TV and performed on international tours in France, Germany, Belgium, Jordan, and more. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Performance from Berklee College of Music.

Current musical activities include performances with local artists and music organizations such as Shelter Music Boston, Worcester Chamber Music Society, Center for Arabic Culture, Al Faris Foundation, and the Bethlehem Foundation. He also appears in concert with Simon Shaheen and area ensembles such as the Layaali Arabic Music Ensemble. He teaches privately online and in person, and is also a faculty member at the Arabic Music Retreat.

Antonius Chedid - Violin

Antonius is a Lebanese-American violinist and engineer. He began studying violin in Newton, MA at the All Newton Music School, and continued his musical journey overseas at the USEK School of Music and Performing Arts in Kaslik, Lebanon. During his time in Lebanon, Antonius performed at concerts, charity events, and other cultural events across Lebanon, including the “Beirut Chants” festival. While firmly rooted in the western classical curriculum, Antonius’ passion lies in playing classical Arabic music, which he believes is a way to preserve and celebrate the rich culture of the Arab world. Antonius performs regularly with Arabic music ensembles in Boston and along the East Coast.

Elizabeth Cook - Cello

Elizabeth Cook is a Boston-based cellist who grew up in North Carolina, where she studied at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. She went on to obtain degrees from Mannes College and SUNY Purchase, where she studied with renowned cellists such as Marcy Rosen, Brooks Whitehouse, Zvi Plesser and Julia Lichten. In 2018 Elizabeth was awarded a Gloria Miner Fellow at the 2018 Sitka International Cello Seminar and performed as soloist with the Western Piedmont Wind Symphony in the “Music Beyond Borders” concert series which highlighted the stories of refugees.

Elizabeth’s passion for social change has driven her to serve in many different places all over the world such as Sounds of Palestine, an orchestral program for refugee youth in Bethlehem, and Children of Cambodia, a sponsorship program for orphans in Cambodia. Elizabeth spent three years as a cello teacher for Al Kamandjati, a music organization that exists to teach music to Palestinian children, especially those in marginalized areas. Currently, she is ensemble leader at Shelter Music Boston, Artist Director at musiConnects.

Bengisu Gökçe - Violin

Turkish born and raised, Bengisu Gökçe is a multi-genre Violinist and Singer, known for combining in her music the Turkish roots with Eastern-European and Middle-Eastern traditions. As a professionally renowned performer, Gökçe's versatile playing has led her to share the stage with several music icons including Mark O’Connor, Tigran Hamasyan, Aynur Dogan, Shreya Ghoshal, Toninho Horta, Shankar Mahadevan, Simon Shaheen, Amal Murkus, and Pablo Ziegler to name a few.

Throughout her career, she has performed in various distinguished venues such as Carnegie Hall (NY), Lincoln Center (NY), Boston Symphony Hall, American Repertory Theatre, MFA Boston, Roulette Intermedium (NY), Shapeshifter Lab (NY) and Monte Carlo Salle Garnier (Monaco). A multi-award winning musician, Gökçe is a classically trained violinist and a performance alumna of Mersin University State Conservatory in Turkey, ‘Hanns Eisler’ School of Music in Berlin, Germany and Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA.

Akram Haddad

Akram Haddad is an award-winning composer, orchestrator, educator, and versatile musician who is dedicated to promoting a deeper understanding and appreciation of Arabic music and culture throughout his life and work. Akram’s musical journey began with classical piano studies at the Robin Conservatory in Haifa. He is a graduate of several prestigious music institutions, including the New England Conservatory, the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance, and Haifa University. As a performer, Akram's piano artistry has graced numerous concerts, festivals, and events both locally and internationally.

Akram’s diverse body of work has significantly impacted the field of composition and arranging, and he has received awards such as the Palest'In & Out 2016 award for Best Music Composition. His portfolio includes music for feature films, television, video games, theater, choir, and other media. Notably, he orchestrated the music for the video game "Assassin's Creed Mirage" by Ubisoft Bordeaux (October 2023) and composed music for the feature film "Yes Repeat No" by director Michael Dahan. Akram Haddad's profound connection to composing and arranging for choirs is equally notable. Serving as the resident composer for the "Al-Ba’ath” choir from Galili for over a decade, he arranged and composed music that has left an indelible mark on audiences. In addition tohis work with the Al-Ba’ath choir, Akram composed "Psalm 121," a composition performed by choirs around the world, including the Zamir Choir of Boston, "Actor Core" in New York City, and "Vokalquintett Berlin" in Berlin.

Akram's compositions for theater and children’s theater, such as the pantomime production "Rijal Fe Alshams," has garnered international recognition. As the Artistic Director of the "Al Midan Theater" in Haifa, he has lent his musical talent to more than 15 theatrical productions.

As an educator, Akram has shared his passion for music at leading institutions internationally. He currently serves as a faculty member at Berklee College of Music, where he teaches in the Screen Scoring Department, including courses such as Composition and Orchestration for Media Composers and Introduction to Scoring Technology for Media Composers. He also teaches at the New England Conservatory, where he leads the World Music Ensemble in the Contemporary Musical Arts Department and lectures on Contemporary Arabic Music Traditions, Scoring for Games, and Modal Interactions.

In addition, Akram is a faculty member in the Composition Department at the Longy School of Music of Bard College, where he teaches Media Composition and maintains a private composition studio. Akram has previously taught at Brandeis University in the BOLLI program, and has served as an Artist in Residence at Tufts University and as a faculty member at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance, Ono Academic College, and the University of Haifa.

Now based in the U.S., Akram lives in Boston, MA with his wife and son.

Layan Hawila - Oud

Layan Hawila is a Palestinian Oud player and singer. Born and raised in Haifa, she has been performing for over twelve years. Now in her second year at Berklee College of Music under the guidance of renowned virtuosic Oud player and composer professor Simon Shaheen, she is pursuing a double major in Music Therapy and Performance, becoming the first Oud principal in Berklee’s history to major in Music Therapy. Passionate about the healing power of music, Layan also serves as a Berklee Student Ambassador and President of the Music Therapy Club, where she works to inspire connection, creativity, and compassion through Music.

Dr. James Heazlewood-Dale - Bass

Dr. James Heazlewood-Dale is a Grammy-nominated bassist and scholar, hailing from Melbourne, Australia. Venturing to Boston to pursue studies in jazz double bass at the prestigious Berklee College of Music and the New England Conservatory, where he received full scholarships, Dr. Heazlewood-Dale has shared the stage with world-renowned artists, including Jacob Collier, Donny McCaslin, Zakir Hussain, Kurt Elling, Ingrid Jensen, Grace Kelly, and Terence Blanchard. He completed his Ph.D. at Brandeis University in 2024, writing his dissertation on the intersection of video game music and jazz. In recognition of outstanding academic achievement, Dr. Heazlewood-Dale was honored with Brandeis University’s Provost Research Award.

Dr. Heazlewood-Dale’s ludomusicological contributions can be read in Jazz and Culture and Environmental Humanities and the Video Game, as well as in a number of forthcoming chapters and articles exploring topics such as jazz scoring in transmedia adaptations, video game music and disabilities, and Japanese jazz fusion in the Mario Kart series. Among his public-facing work, two highlights are a commission by Decca Records to write the liner notes for the soundtrack release of The Callisto Protocol (2022) and a scholarly guest appearance in Adam Neely’s acclaimed video essay “The Nintendo-fication of Jazz.” He currently serves as the co-chair for the American Musicological Society’s Ludomusicology Study Group.

Tareq Rantisi - Percussion

Tareq Rantisi is a Grammy-nominated world percussionist, educator, and cultural leader, blending Arabic music with influences from Jazz, Afro-Cuban, Indian, West African, and Brazilian traditions. A self-taught virtuoso, he began his journey in Palestinian refugee camps, where he also taught music. In 2011, he co-founded the Edward Said Conservatory in Gaza and later studied at Berklee College of Music, earning a B.A. in Performance and a Master's from the Berklee Global Jazz Institute.

Tareq has collaborated with artists like Luciana Souza, Aaron Goldberg, and Jon Batiste. His debut album, A’hajeez (2024), explores Arab Gulf percussion traditions. As director of Access Culture, he leads the "World Music Concert Series," offering free performances in public spaces across Greater Boston. Tareq also shares his expertise at institutions like MIT, Brandeis, and the London Jazz Festival, nurturing the next generation of musicians. As the director of Access Culture, a nonprofit dedicated to fostering cultural belonging and environmental appreciation, Tareq spearheads the "World Music Concert Series." This initiative transforms underutilized public spaces in Greater Boston into vibrant cultural venues through free outdoor performances.

Additionally, Tareq shares his expertise through master classes and workshops at prestigious institutions like Boston College, BrandeisUniversity, the London Jazz Festival, and the Panama Jazz Festival. He currently serves as a Visual and Performing Arts, Music Instructor at Curry College and an Affiliated Artist at MIT and the Emerson-Harris Program, nurturing the next generation of global musicians.

Bassem Batbouta is a self-taught percussionist from Syria. Music has always been a part of Bassem’s life; his father played accordion and oud professionally, and Bassem first cultivated his ear for percussion through listening to his father’s music. Since moving to the United States thirteen years ago, Bassem has played and performed in numerous groups in the Greater Boston Area, including joining CAC for annual concerts. He is skilled in Arabic percussion as well as other styles, and is trained in a range of percussion instruments. Bassem also teaches percussion with CAC, and enjoys sharing the joy of music with his students.

Avi Randall is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, improviser, and educator in Boston, and is interested in the intersections of different world traditions. Avi founded the world music ensemble Saltaré, and wrote the album “Modes” (2025), and has released two collections of original classical piano music. Every summer, Avi teaches at the Charles River Creative Arts Program, and writes and directs children’s musicals. At CoF, Avi was the music director for Grease (2025) and Mean Girls (2026). They accompany choruses around Boston, play organ at the Christian Science Church in Wellesley, and play for New England Contra Dances.