MCC to Welcome Cambodian Music Master for “World of Music”

Middlesex Community College will welcome Cambodian music master Sovann Khon for a performance as part of the “A World of Music” Spring 2023 concert series. Co-sponsored by MCC’s Interdisciplinary (IDS) Weekend: Arts and Culture of Cambodia, the concert will take place at 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 29 in MCC’s Richard and Nancy Donahue Family Academic Arts Center in Lowell.

“’A World of Music’ concert series is always delighted to collaborate with the interdisciplinary weekends at MCC,” said Carmen Rodríguez-Peralta, MCC’s Chair of the Music Department. “The colorful Cambodian ensemble Wong Pleng Khmer, led by Sovann Khon, will be an important component of the upcoming weekend entitled Arts and Culture of Cambodia and the Cambodian Diaspora.”

"In the spirit of the weekend, celebrating and exploring the richness of Cambodian cultures, we felt it was vital for students to not only experience traditional Cambodian music led by master musicians but also to see how the instruments are handled and played,” said Kerri Gamache, MCC English Faculty Member and Coordinator of the IDS Weekend: Arts and Culture of Cambodia. “The instruments themselves are exquisite works of art."

Khon plays the “Tro Sau,” a bowed string instrument and will lead the ensemble through a performance of a variety of Cambodian traditional music. “Wong Pleng Khmer” also includes “Takhe,” a three-stringed instrument; “Khim,” a stringed instrument similar to a hammered dulcimer; “Skor Daey,” made of wood and python; “Chhing,” a bell-like instrument; and “Roneat Ek,” a percussion instrument similar to a xylophone.

All of MCC’s “A World of Music” concerts are free and open to the public.

Previous “A World of Music” Spring 2023 concert series include performances by the Lowell Chamber Orchestra, Aroma Duo, and Jeannette Lee. The next performances will take place at MCC’s Concert Hall in Bedford, including an MCC Student Recital at 12:30 p.m. on Monday, May 8 and Latin American Music Featuring the Cello at 8 p.m. on Friday, May 12.

MCC’s Academic Arts Center is located at 240 Central Street in Lowell. With parking not available on site, the nearest public parking facility is the Early Garage on 135 Middlesex St.