Arts & Events

Famed Afghan singer Ustad Farida Mahwash, the first woman to be given the title Ustad ("Maestra") in 1977, and composer-rubab virtuoso Homayoun Sakhi & the Sakhi Ensemble will present an evening of Afghan music and song Saturday, March 2 at 8 pm, at Wheeler Auditorium on the UC campus, under the auspices of Cal Performances. 

Ustad Mahwash, singer of both classical ghazals and popular music, daughter of a female hafez (teacher of the Quran) became popular on Radio Kabul after studying Afghani and Indian classical musicwith Ustad Mohammed Hashem Cheshti. She went into exile in Pakistan in 1991 and took asylum in the US, now living in Fremont and touring the world. 

Homayoun Sakhi has said the rubab is over 2000 years old, a predecessor of the Indian sarod, but without meatl strings and played differently. 

Tickets are $36. 642-9988; calperformances.org 

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The Lee Trio--Lisa Lee, violin; Angela Lee, cello & Melinda Lee Masur, piano--will play 'Heptad' by noted orchestral & film ('Clash of the Titans,' 'Man of La Mancha,' 'Becket') composer Laurence Rosenthal; Janacek's String Quartet No. 1, "The Kreutzer Sonata;' arranged by Julian Yu; & Schubert's Piano Trio No. 2 in E-flat Major, Op. 100, D. 929, 

8 p. m. Tuesday, March 5 at the Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant Avenue (between Ellsworth & Dana). 

A complimentary wine & cheese reception, with trhe opportunity to meet the arists, follows. 

Tickets: $25; students through high school, free; post-secondary school students: $12.50. 848-7800; berkeleychamberperform.org