John Bilezikjian has long been a friend of Mid-East, and recently at the Winter NAMM visited our booth. He thrilled us with some music on the oud, and at times was joined by impromptu musicians on various drums. It even prompted some dancing by visitors who stopped to enjoy the music.
John Bilezikjian has given command performances for the King and Queen of Spain and for Mrs. Anwar Sadat of Egypt to name only a few. He has filmed and recorded background music for over 80 TV and Motion Picture Film Soundtracks in Hollywood, California. He has appeared with The Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Zubin Mehta as well as The Los Angeles Mandolin Orchestra and The Pacific Palisades Symphony with Maestro Joel Lish conducting. He debuted in June of 2005 at Symphony Hall in Boston with the venerable Boston Pops Orchestra as featured soloist, marking the first time the Oud was heard in a solo capacity with the Boston Pops Orchestra on it’s stage. John Bilezikjian has also appeared as a Bouzouki soloist with The Pasadena Pops Orchestra, Rachael Worby conducting. His music can be heard on countless documentaries and HBO trailers as well and in the Warner Bros. movie “Must Love Dogs” and “Mirror Wars”, a film about Russian espionage and America.
