Don Weeda
Accordion
The bridge between East and West — Balkan drive and Parisian sweep in a single breath.
Since 1987
Austin's longest-running Middle Eastern ensemble
It began in 1987 at Chicago House, an Austin venue where a circle of musicians gathered to play, experiment and improvise together. Before long, those sessions became 1001 Nights Orchestra. What started with Persian folk and popular music grew into something far wider — a living repertoire shaped by the traditions of Iran, Anatolia, the Balkans and Latin America.
Founded and led for nearly three decades by Iranian-born multi-instrumentalist Kamran Hooshmand — oud, santour, rabab, saz, guitar and voice — until his passing in 2016, the ensemble he gathered carries his archive forward through many lineups, each musician leaving an imprint on the sound.
Along the way the orchestra recorded several albums, launched its sister project Ojalá — Middle Eastern repertoire in conversation with Latin American melodies and rhythms — and composed an award-winning live score to the 1924 silent classic The Thief of Bagdad. Beyond the stage, it helped create Austin's annual Nowruz celebrations at Central Market, gathering music, culture and community around the Persian New Year.
1987
First 1001 Nights gathering at Chicago House, Austin.
2002
Music From the Middle East & Beyond tops local world-music charts.
2010s
Sister project Ojalá launches, bringing Latin American melodies into the repertoire; the orchestra helps create Austin's annual Nowruz Festival at Central Market.
2014
Live session recorded at KUTX Studio 1A.
2015
Live from Austin, Texas released with the Austin International Folk Dancers.
2016
Official SXSW showcase artist. Founder Kamran Hooshmand passes away; the ensemble carries his repertoire forward.
Today
Austin's longest-running Middle Eastern ensemble — Iran, Anatolia, the Balkans and Latin America in one sound.
The Ensemble
The Players
Ken Maranian
Clarinet
Armenian clarinetist whose lines carry the music from Istanbul wedding dances to cinematic lament.
Javier Palacios
Vocals
The voice of the ensemble — carrying songs from Andalusia to Anatolia with warmth and a storyteller's ease.
Alexis Takvorian
Guitar
Guitarist who threads Spanish and Latin color through the orchestra's Eastern modes.
Sonique Visser
Dumbeg · Vocals
Rhythm and voice in one — the dumbeg's pulse beneath the melody, and harmonies above it.
Victor Eijkhout
Bass Guitar
Fretless bass anchoring the ensemble, giving ancient maqam melodies a modern foundation.
The full orchestra rotates with the season — past members and guest collaborators have brought violin, qanun, oboe, frame drums and zurna to the stage. Founder Kamran Hooshmand, who led the orchestra from 1987 until his passing in 2016, remains its guiding spirit.