Join us for a celebration of the music and legacy of Al Gardner (1950-2006), a much beloved member of the Bath and the Midcoast communities.
Marking the 20th anniversary of Al’s passing, this event will include:

• Music selections by the Al-Mashreq Ensemble, showcasing Bardezbanian’s compositions and traditional songs of the Middle East that he loved
• Spoken remembrances about Al’s musical and martial arts worlds from those close to him, and testimonials about his enduring impact on the community
• Martial arts demonstration by local students
• Collected photos and footage from Al’s life
• A fundraiser to support students' participation in the annual Arabic Music Retreat, which Al enthusiastically attended for many years. You can even donate here!

Alan Shavarsh Bardezbanian (Al Gardner) was a multi-instrumentalist and a virtuoso of the oud, a sought-after performer and composer who won many grants and awards for his musical artistry, and a regular presence at the annual Arabic Music Retreat in Massachusetts. Al introduced Armenian, Turkish, Greek and Arabic music to Maine, and was instrumental in creating a devoted following of lovers of this music who continue to play it today.

Sensei Al was also a Grand Master of several martial arts traditions, and taught for over three decades at the Wu Hsing Shan School of Martial Arts on Front St., in Bath. He also served as a martial arts instructor at Bates and Bowdoin Colleges and at Harvard University along with teaching various police departments in Maine and Massachusetts. Al established Wu Hsing Shan on Front St., in Bath, in 1975, as a traditional Japanese and Chinese martial arts school, where he has taught martial arts to hundreds of area children and adults. In a tribute to Al, his students have vowed to continue the school and its tradition of teaching self defense, physical and spiritual well-being, and character development.

Al-Mashreq Ensemble is a Maine-based community of musicians who come together periodically to play the music of Al-Mashreq, Arabic for The Arab East. They are also members of other music groups, including the Maine Middle East Orchestra, Okbari Middle Eastern Ensemble, Zapion, Jawahir, Falastiniya, and others. On June 13 th of this year, Al-Mashreq Ensemble participated in Gather: Folklives and Foodways, organized by the Maine Humanities Council in cooperation with the Chocolate Church Arts Center. Udi Alan Shavarsh Bardezbanian was a dear friend to several members of Al-Mashreq, who feel that the best way to honor him is to remember his legacy and play the music that he loved. Al-Mashreq will play several of Al’s compositions, as well as music he often played and recorded in his own unique style.

The ensemble includes Fateh Azzam (Oud), Steve Gruverman (Clarinet, Nay), Duncan Hardy (Qanun), Eric LaPerna (Durbakka, Riqq), and Nyx Leibiger (Accordion).

Please join our fundraising effort to support students' participation in the annual Arabic Music Retreat, which Al enthusiastically attended for many years: https://arabicmusicretreat.org/.
Please donate to the Bardezbanian Scholarship Fund here: https://gofund.me/34c385b98