The fascinating and mystifying sounds and colours of Levant, the "region of the rising Sun", are the focus of Amici Ensemble’s latest recording project. With music inspired by the Near East, the journey starts in the Balkans, moves into Israel, the Arabian Peninsula and up to the Caucasus mountains, and features an eclectic selection of works by Prokofiev, Gurdjieff, Golijov and Abou-Khalil, among others.
 
The Amici Chamber Ensemble has been at the forefront of the Canadian chamber music scene over the past twenty-five years. Clarinetist Joaquin Valdepeñas, cellist David Hetherington and pianist Serouj Kradjian invite some of the finest musicians to join them in eclectic programming and projects, at the same time celebrating friendship through music; hence the name Amici.

Some of the many renowned artists who have performed with Amici are James Ehnes, Isabel Bayrakdarian, Shmuel Ashkenasi, Benjamin Bowman, Russell Braun, Michael Schade, Cho-Liang Lin, Jaime Laredo, André Laplante and James Sommerville.