They were, in fact, a hardworking group of Philadelphia professionals, called the American Society of the Ancient Instruments, and last week they were giving their 17th annual festival in the ...

The world's oldest orchestral music, gagaku was imported from mainland China in ancient times. The melody is not based on a ...

Long before sitars and tablas ruled the stage, India resonated with the haunting melodies of the Ravanahatha and the deep ...

But he soon came to love its "spiritual aspect" and founded a school to train students in the ancient instrument. It was his idea to play the begena in retirement homes and hospitals -- he even ...

Biruktawit Tasew's fingers glide over the strings of the begena, producing a deep, hypnotic sound. Along with six fellow ...

One of the country's oldest instruments, the begena was once reserved for the elite -- and effectively banned during the Marxist Derg regime between 1974 and 1991.