Acclaim and Recommendations

“Souhail brings to the stage a dynamic range of personal warmth and blazing virtuosity to every audience he performs for. His personal integrity and respect for various cultures and work ethic is of the very highest level.”

-- John Zeretzke, composer, artistic director
Zworldmusic

“In the somewhat rarefied world of classical Arabic percussion, Souhail Kaspar is definitely a household name. . . . When you watch Kaspar in action, beating on the Egyptian doumbek with such passion and speed that his hands literally blur into the music, your first thought is, “Ouch!” Wouldn’t it hurt a whole lot to do that all evening – or your whole life? But the more he drums, the more ecstatic Kaspar looks. There’s nothing,it seems, that he can’t do; as one of his students observed, “I like to think of him as the ‘Master of Everything’ in relation to Arabic percussion. His incredible tones, phrases, precision and scope of rhythm place him in a class of his own. He’s a perfect player.”

-- Mary Beth Crain
LA Weekly, July 1-7, 2011

“I was impressed by the superb musicianship and mastery of the urban repertoire. Directed by virtuoso percussionist Souhail Kaspar, the ensemble will inspire many musicians and music lovers, and will make valuable contributions to our cultural life.”

--Prof. A. J. Racy, Ph.D.
UCLA Ethnomusicologist

“The first time I heard the Near East Music Ensemble I was completely enthralled with the rhythms, the exotic instruments and the exciting sounds that carried me beyond the music…. As ambassadors for the music they play, the Near East Music Ensemble present a unique cultural event with wide-ranging appeal.”

--Donna Hamer, Special Events Committee
Universalist Unitarian Church of Santa Paula