Join us for an evening of live Middle Eastern music celebrating the music and legacy of Al Gardner (1950-2006), a much beloved member of the Bath and the Midcoast communities.

Al was a multi-instrumentalist and a virtuoso of the oud, a sought-after performer and composer who won many grants and awards for his musical artistry, and a regular presence at the annual Arabic Music Retreat in Massachusetts. Al introduced Armenian, Turkish, Greek and Arabic music to Maine, and was instrumental in creating a devoted following of lovers of this music who continue to play it today. Sensei Al was also a Grand Master of several martial arts traditions, and taught for over three decades at the Wu Hsing Shan school of martial arts on Front St., in Bath.

Al-Mashreq Ensemble will play a selection of Bardezbanian’s compositions and several folk and traditional songs of the Middle East that he loved and recorded. Brief testimonials and anecdotes will testify to the impact that Al has had on the Bath and Brunswick communities.

The event will in part be a fundraiser for the Bardezbanian Scholarship Fund, supporting Maine musicians to attend the 2027 Arabic Music Retreat.