February 28, 2014 | Rob Hochschild

The Berklee Middle Eastern Festival not only provides an annual glimpse into the music of an important cultural region, it demonstrates how that area's music can be fused with other contemporary styles in innovative ways. This year's festival, The Music of Armenia: Dark Eyes/New Eyes, brings guest artist Sato Moughalian of Alexandria, Egypt, to perform with her Perspectives Ensemble. The concert, now in its sixth year, is led annually by faculty member Christiane Karam. Student performers come from a range of towns, including Izmir, Turkey; Amman, Jordan; Quito, Ecuador; Moscow; Stockholm; Panama City; Athens; Jerusalem; and many others.

One of this year's performers, the Berklee student group Pletenitsa Balkan Choir, also performed in the 2013 Berklee Middle Eastern Festival. In last year's concert Pletenitsa performed "Folkscat Medley," a jazz arrangement of Bulgarian folk songs.