The Cal Poly Arab Music Ensemble will be on spring tour in Southern California presenting concerts April 13-14. The Friday concert will take place in Mission Viejo at Saddleback College’s McKinney Theater, presented by the college’s Music Department, International Languages Department and Equity and Diversity Committee. The Saturday concert will take place in the Glendale Community College (GCC) Performing Arts Center, in partnership with GCC’s Music Department.

The Arab Music Ensemble, founded in 2006, specializes in traditional and contemporary music from the Eastern Mediterranean, North Africa and larger region. It has been enthusiastically received locally and on concert tours throughout the state, as well as on the East Coast. In addition to classic instrumental and vocal repertoire, its programs generally include brief descriptions of socio-historical background, compositional technique and performance practice for better appreciation and understanding. For this tour, 25 instrumentalists and singers will contribute to the ensemble’s educational mission of fostering intellectual, artistic and cultural exchange.