engine408: World Beat Caravan of Silk and Jade

This program of Middle Eastern music is inspired by Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Project, which celebrates the cultural contributions of countries along the legendary trading route that stretched from Japan to Rome. This is music seldom heard on the classical stage, so a few sleepy season-ticket holders may be startled by the arabesque sounds of unfamiliar worlds. Most arresting are the notes coming from the oud, the fretless and potbellied string instrument that provides a hypnotic thrum to traditional Middle Eastern music. Program highlights include Iranian composer Kayhan Kaylor’s “Turquoise Night of Neyshabur,” commissioned for the Silk Road Project, and Tactile Time from Aspeheron Quintet by Franghiz Ali-Zadeh, a pianist and composer from Azerbaijan. 408 St. Peter St., St. Paul; 651-292-3248; www.thespco.org