The WCR Center for the Arts will present a concert by Grammy-nominated musician Simon Shaheen and his trio on Saturday, March 26, at 8 p.m. at the WCR, 140 N. Fifth St., Reading. Doors will open at 7:30 p.m.

A Palestinian born in the village of Tarshiha in the Galilee, Shaheen is a virtuoso on oud and violin as well as a composer. His father, Hikmat, was a professor of music and a master oud player. Shaheen began his studies with his father at the age of 5 and a year later commenced studying the violin at the Conservatory for Western Classical Music in Jerusalem. Shaheen continued his music education in the United States, receiving master's degrees from both the Manhattan School of Music and Columbia University. In 1994, Shaheen received a National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, the highest honor for traditional arts in the U.S. In addition to his work in traditional and classical Arabic music, Shaheen has participated in many cross-cultural collaborations, including performances with Sting, Quincy Jones, Bill Laswell, and The Klezmatics. He is also a professor at Berklee College of Music.

For more information and the link to purchase tickets, visit http://www.wcrcenter.org/eventcalendar. There is a discount for students. Masks and a vaccine card are required for entry.

Parking is available at the Abraham Lincoln parking garage, located on the corner of Fifth and Washington streets. While every effort is being made to become accessible, the WCR Center is not currently wheelchair-accessible.

This event is made possible by Najla and Nabil Muallem and the Berks County Community Foundation.

WCR Center for the Arts is a nonprofit community organization focused on promoting the arts, serving the community, and enhancing the revitalization efforts in Reading. The organization's primary goal is to preserve the facility to serve the Reading community as it has done for over 150 years.