Richard Hagopian is a widely acclaimed Armenian oud player. The oud, a plucked lute derived from the European lute, is the principle instrument of the Arab world. Enriching the Armenian tradition, he also plays the clarinet, dumbeg (hour-glass shaped drum), and the kanoun (zither).

Zakir Hussain started playing the tabla as soon as he could reach across the drums. This master of the Indian tabla, a popular percussion instrument consisting of a pair of hand drums, has accompanied some the greatest Indian musicians and collaborated with such diverse performers. He won a Grammy for Best World album in 1992 and received the NEA Heritage Award in 1999.

Due to miscommunication on our part, we regret to inform our audience that Manoochehr Sadeghi will not be performing on Sunday, August 24.

The NEA National Heritage Fellowship program, an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts, is presented with support from the Darden Restaurants Foundation.