Listing of non-European styled Orchestras in the US and Canada. Website URLs follow and in parenthesis following the is the city/province/state of origin and the date of founding if known.
British Columbia
- British Columbia Youth Chinese Orchestra <<www.bccma.net/en/about/bcyco>> (Vancouver?, ca 2000)
- Vancouver Fusion Orchestra (Vancouver)
- Vancouver Inter-Cultural Orchestra <<>> (Vancouver)
Ontario
- Toronto Chinese Orchestra <<http://s2.torontochineseorchestra.com>> (Toronto)
California
- Ayjal <<www.faisalzedan.com/ABOUT2.html>> (San Francisco)
- Drita Albanian Folk Orchestra <<http://home.earthlink.net/~rowanwood/index.html>> (Los Angeles)
- Firebird Youth Chinese Orchestra <<www.fyco.org>> (San Francisco, 2000)
- George Lamman Ensemble (San Francisco)
- Kan Zaman Community Orchestra <<www.kanzaman.org>> (Pasadena)
- Los Angeles Balalaika Orchestra <<http://www.russianstrings.com/>> (Los Angeles)
- Los Angeles Chinese Orchestra <<www.lachineseorchestra.net>> (Los Angeles, ca 2000)
- Meridian Band <<home.comcast.net/~msfair>> (Redwood City)
- MESTO: Multi-Ethnic Star Orchestra <<www.mesto.org>> (Los Angeles)
- Qadim Ensemble <<www.eliyahusills.com/qadim>> (San Francisco)
- SK Near Eastern Ensemble <<www.neareastmusic.com>> (Los Angeles)
- South Bay Chinese Orchestra <<www.omnisterra.com/coona/>> (San Francisco)
- Stellamara <<www.stellamara.com>> (San Francisco)
- T’Adelphia <<http://www.greekfolkmusicanddance.com/band.php>> (Stockton)
- Turath Ensemble <<http://turath.org/>> (Los Angeles)
- UCLA Near Eastern Ensemble <<musicology.ucla.edu/>> (Los Angeles)
- UCSB Middle East Ensemble <<www.music.ucsb.edu/mee/aboutmee.html>> (Santa Barbara)
- Youm It Talaata (Los Angeles)
- Za’atar <<www.myspace.com/zaatartheband>> (Berkeley)
Illinois
- Al-Sharq Ensemble <<www.issaboulos.com/sharq.html>> (Chicago)
- Arabesque Music Ensemble <<www.arabesquemusicensemble.com>> (Chicago)
- Arabesque Trio (Chicago)
- Bulbul <<www.bulbulensemble.com/>> (Chicago)
- Chinese Classical Orchestra <<http://www.chinesemusic.net>> (Chicago)
- Duzan Ensemble <<www.duzanensemble.com>> (Chicago)
- Hijazz <<www.hijazzband.com/>> (Chicago)
- Hye Vibe (Chicago)
- Issa Boulos Ensemble <<www.issaboulos.com/ibe.html>> (Chicago)
- Lamajamal <<www.lamajamal.com>> (Chicago)
- Middle East Music Ensemble of University of Chicago <<meme.uchicago.edu/>> (Chicago)
- Mosaic Ensemble <<www.kimsopata.com/mosaic.htm>> (Chicago)
- Nawa Ensemble <<www.issaboulos.com/nawa.html>> (Chicago)
- NIU Chinese Music Ensemble <<http://www.niu.edu/Music/ensembles/worldmus.shtml>> (DeKalb)
- NIU Gamelon <<http://www.niu.edu/Music/ensembles/worldmus.shtml>> (DeKalb)
- NIU Middle-Eastern Music Ensemble <<http://www.niu.edu/Music/ensembles/worldmus.shtml>> (DeKalb)
- KIU Steelband <<http://www.niu.edu/Music/ensembles/worldmus.shtml>> (DeKalb)
- Silk and Bamboo Ensemble <<http://www.chinesemusic.net>> (Chicago)
Indiana
- Ahel El Nagam <<www.ahelelnagam.com>> (New Albany/Louisville)
- Moroccan Andalusian Classical Orchestra of Bloomington (Bloomington)
- Salaam <<www.salaamband.com>> (Bloomington)
- Safaafir: Iraqi Maqam <<www.safaafir.com>> (Bloomington)
- Silk Road Ensemble <<www.silkroadensemble.com>> (Bloomington)
Kentucky
- Ahel El Nagam <<www.ahelelnagam.com>> (Louisville/New Albany)
- George Wakim (Lexington)
- Hussam Al Aydi and Baladna <<www.myspace.com/hussamandbaladna (Louisville)
Massachussetts
- Sharq <<www.karimnagi.com/sharq>> (Boston)
Michigan
- Ara Topouzian Ensemble <<www.aratopouzian.com>> (Detroit)
- Michigan Arab Orchestra <<www.facebook.com/group>> (Dearborn)
- Millennium Band (Rochester Hills)
- Nadeem Dlaikum Arab Music Ensemble <<www.ndlaikan.com/>> (Detroit)
- University of Michigan Arabic Ensemble <<www.facebook.com/group>> (Dearborn)
Minnesota
- Ethnic Dance Theatre Folk Orchestra Bulgrian music <<http://www.mnfolkarts.org/ethnic_dance/ethnic_dance.html>>
New Jersey
- New Jersey Buddha’s Light Youth Chinese Orchestra <<http://www.ibps.org/newjersey/english/org.asp>>
New York
- Chinese Music Ensemble of New York <<http://www.chinesemusic.org/home/cmeny/index.htm>> (New York City, 1961)
- Melody of Dragon <<http://www.melodyofdragon.org/>> (New York City)
- Melody of Dragon & the Youth <<http://www.melodyofdragon.org/>> (New York City)
- New York Arabic Ensemble <<www.newyorkarabicorchestra.com>> (New York City)
- Zikrayat <<www.zikrayatmusic.com>> (New York City)
Ohio
- Kent State University Thai Ensemble (Kent)
Oregon
- Americanistan <<www.americanistan.com>> (Eugene)
- Brothers of the Baladi <<www.baladi.com>> (Portland)
- Al-Arwah <<www.al-arwah.com>> (Portland)
Texas
- Bereket – University of Texas Middle Eastern Ensemble <<www.music.utexas.edu/ensembles>> (Austin)
- Four Seasons Choral Society & Chinese Orchestra <<www.fscstx.org>> (Arlington, 1993)
Washington
- House of Tarab <<www.houseoftarab.com>> (Seattle)
- Kamand <<www.kamand.org>> (Seattle)
- MB Orchestra <<www.themborchestra.com>> (Edmonds)
- Northwest Chinese Gu-Zheng Orchestra (Seattle, 2006)
- Seattle Chinese Orchestra (Seattle, 1984)
- US China Music Ensemble (Seattle)
- Washington Chinese Youth Orchestra (Seattle, 1993)
Wisconsin
- University of Wisconsin Russian Folk Orchestra <<http://www.russorch.wisc.edu/>>
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We’ve got at least one gamalan in the Bay Area, Gamalan Sekar Jaya (http://www.gsj.org/).
Thanks, Lisa–I need to update this list again. Been a few months and Ive come across so many more groups since the last update!