Sami Abu Shumays

Arabic Violinist Sami Abu Shumays was born in the United States of mixed Palestinian and American descent, but returned to the Arab world to develop a richer connection with his cultural heritage. Originally a composer and scholar of Western Classical music, he began studying Arabic violin with renowned Arabic violinist and oud player Simon Shaheen in New York, where he concurrently pursued graduate studies in composition and ethnomusicology at C.U.N.Y. after receiving his B.A. in Music from Harvard. Seeking a deeper immersion in Arab musical culture, Sami studied in Cairo, Egypt on a Fulbright fellowship, with Dr. Alfred Gamil, and continued his studies in Aleppo, Syria, with Mohammed Qasas, Abdel-Basit Bakkar, and Abdel-Minaim Senkary–experiences that led him to devote himself to Arabic music.

More information about Sami Abu Shumays can be found here.

Classes currently taught by Sami Abu Shumays	Start	End
Maqam Theory and Practice: Maqam Rast in Early 20th Century Egypt with Sami Abu Shumays	Mar 03, 2012	May 19, 2012
Group and Private Music Instruction	Mar 03, 2012	May 25, 2012