Don Weeda
Accordion
Brings Balkan energy and Eastern phrasing to our repertoire with his accordion’s expansive and expressive voice.
Since 1987
Austin's longest-running Middle Eastern ensemble
The Ensemble
The Players
Ken Maranian
Clarinet
Draws on the character and vitality of traditional Armenian dance music, bringing its distinctive phrasing and spirit to the ensemble.
Javier Palacios
Vocals
A warm, soulful vocalist whose repertoire brings Spanish-language songs and melodies from across the world into the ensemble’s sound.
Alexis Takvorian
Guitar · Vocals
Brings Greek vocals, rhythmic drive, and a vibrant musical presence to the orchestra’s wide-ranging repertoire.
Victor Eijkhout
Bass Guitar
Grounds the ensemble with the warm, fluid sound of fretless bass, adding depth and a contemporary edge.
Sonique Visser
Percussion · Vocals
Adds the pulse and color of the darbuka, while her vocals add a warm, expressive layer to the band.
The orchestra changes shape over time — past members and guest collaborators have brought violin, qanun, oboe, frame drums, didgeridoo and even hurdy-gurdy to the stage. Founder Kamran Hooshmand, who led the orchestra from 1987 until his passing in 2016, remains its guiding spirit.
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 the Middle East, Latin America and the Balkans.
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.
2000
Kamran Hooshmand and Javier Palacios create Ojalá, ultimately bringing Latin American melodies into our repertoire.
2003
The band releases its first album: Music From the Middle East & Beyond.
2008
Kamran and the orchestra help create Austin's annual Nowruz Festival at Central Market.
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 — the Middle East, Latin America and the Balkans in one sound.