Ethnic Orchestras in North America

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>&gt; (Toronto)

California

• Ayjal <<www.faisalzedan.com/ABOUT2.html>> (San Francisco)
• Drita Albanian Folk Orchestra <<http://home.earthlink.net/~rowanwood/index.html>&gt; (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/>&gt; (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>&gt; (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>&gt; (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>&gt; (DeKalb)
• NIU Gamelon <<http://www.niu.edu/Music/ensembles/worldmus.shtml>&gt; (DeKalb)
• NIU Middle-Eastern Music Ensemble <<http://www.niu.edu/Music/ensembles/worldmus.shtml>&gt; (DeKalb)
• KIU Steelband <<http://www.niu.edu/Music/ensembles/worldmus.shtml>&gt; (DeKalb)
• Silk and Bamboo Ensemble <<http://www.chinesemusic.net>&gt; (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>&gt;

New Jersey

• New Jersey Buddha’s Light Youth Chinese Orchestra <<http://www.ibps.org/newjersey/english/org.asp>&gt;

New York

• Chinese Music Ensemble of New York <<http://www.chinesemusic.org/home/cmeny/index.htm>&gt; (New York City, 1961)
• Melody of Dragon <<http://www.melodyofdragon.org/>&gt; (New York City)
• Melody of Dragon & the Youth <<http://www.melodyofdragon.org/>&gt; (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/>&gt;