Vibrant cultural offerings

Venue: Main Auditorium, AUS
Time: 5:00 p.m. 
Free and open to the AUS community

Join Cristina Aguilera for an immersive flamenco workshop focused on the art of rhythm, footwork and emotional expression that defines this passionate dance form. Aguilera is an acclaimed flamenco dancer known for her expressive style and powerful stage presence and has performed in major international festivals and productions, including the Seville Biennial and Jerez Festival. She brings deep artistry and experience to this interactive session.

Directed, choreographed and interpreted by Cristina Aguilera, alongside the renowned vocalist  David Caro, a Latin Grammy nominee celebrated for his virtuosic technique and powerful collaborations with leading dancers; and Francisco Javier Hidalgo Rivera, a distinguished flamenco cantaor from Seville, known for his deep-rooted traditional style, shaped by masterful training and a legacy inherited from his father, "El Pichichi."

Tarab is an Arabic word referring to a state of ecstasy induced by music—a trance-like moment where the listener connects deeply with emotion and energy. In its essence, tarab conveys a spectrum of feelings from joy to sorrow, translated into words like rapture, ecstasy and enchantment. It is not just a feeling but a musical tradition where the intensity of performance stirs deep emotional states in both the artist and the audience.

In this show, tarab becomes the challenge: to evoke that ecstatic state through the voice, guitar and most powerfully, through the dancer’s interpretation.

About the Performers

Cristina Aguilera 

Cristina Aguilera began her flamenco journey at the age of eight, training under Maite Galán. She earned her degree in Spanish dance and flamenco in 2010 at the Carmen Amaya Professional Dance Conservatory in Madrid. Her professional debut came in 2015 with Encrucijada in Granada. Since then, her career has flourished:

2016: Premiered Corazón Abierto at the 20th Seville Biennial

2017: Co-presented Granada with Alba Heredia

2018: Debuted De Agua, Plata y Tierra under Jesús Carmona’s direction

2019: Danced in Lorca and Passion. A Sea of Dreams at the Generalife Gardens Theatre of La Alhambra

2020: Invited to perform at the Sona Flamenco Festival and at the XXIV Jerez Festival, receiving critical acclaim

David Caro

Born in Almería in 1992, David Caro began studying flamenco guitar at age 11 with his father, José Antonio Caro. He graduated with honors in flamenco guitar from the Rafael Orozco Superior Conservatory of Córdoba.

Currently, he performs at the iconic Tablao Los Gallos in Seville and is the guitarist for Juan Pinilla (Lámpara Minera 2007), with whom he recorded four albums, including Jugar con Fuego, nominated for a 2014 Latin Grammy. He has also accompanied notable artists like Pele (Peleando), Farruquito (Two Figures), Choro Molina (Bayles de gitanos) and the flamenco dancer El Carpeta (Flamenco Show, A Bailar). He also plays in innovative projects such as: SER DE LUZ (with Sergio de Lope), Bajo de Guía (with Diego Villegas) and Jugando (with Matías López "El Mati").

Caro has composed music for various dance productions, including works by Maise Márquez, Macarena López, Julio Ruiz, Cristina Soler and others. He regularly teaches guitar at prestigious flamenco festivals worldwide.

Francisco Javier Hidalgo Rivera

Born in 1975 in Seville,  Francisco Javier Hidalgo Rivera is a pure and solid cantaor trained by the best masters to become a faithful follower of the essential aspects of flamenco singing. From his birth in Seville, he has been influenced by flamenco singing, thanks to his father, "El Pichichi," who was among the best fandango singers. Discovered by the renowned Cristina Heeren Foundation, Javier had the opportunity to train there under the direction of masters such as Naranjito de Triane. Later appointed as a professor at the foundation's school, he now works there alongside renowned fellow teachers such as José de la Tomasa and Calixto Sánchez.

Javier Rivera performs in the most renowned venues and festivals in Andalusia. He made a name for himself (in 2001) at the Les Voix du Cante Flamenco Festival in Grenoble and made notable tours in Germany, France and the United States, where he performed at the Metropolitan Museum in New York with Rafael Campallo.

Ensemble Decipher blends classical instruments with live electronics in real time, creating immersive, genre-bending soundscapes that push the boundaries of music and technology. 

Founded in 2017 by Niloufar Nourbakhsh, the ensemble is a modular, experimental music group exploring new virtuosity through vintage, contemporary and emerging technologies. Their innovative performances blend acoustic instruments with machine learning, kinetic sculptures and network technologies. It features Joseph Bohigian, Robert Cosgrove, Eric Lemmon, Chelsea Loew, Taylor Long and Niloufar Nourbakhsh.

The ensemble has performed at prestigious festivals and venues including the International Computer Music Conference and New Music for Strings Festival, with residencies at institutions such as Peabody Institute and Michigan State University. Their work is supported by leading arts organizations including New Music USA and the Foundation for Contemporary Arts.

Find out more about Ensemble Decipher.

Program

• Monolith
  Paul Leary 
• Scene VI from I Am He Whose Life and Soul Are Torment (World Premier)
  Joseph Bohigian
• New Work (World premiere)
  Eric Lemmon
• Intermission - Lobby or off Stage Radio Installation for audience participation
  Rob Cosgrove
• Of Breath and Feeding Back (eight minutes)
  Niloufar Nourbakhsh
• Three Snare Drums and Miniature Speakers
  Taylor Long 
• Cat’s Cradle
  Bora Yoon

Wednesday, February 11, 2026
Venue: Library 011
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Free and open to the public with limited seating

Join the award-winning Katarina String Quartet in a distinct interdisciplinary evening where classical chamber music intertwines with original poetry by American University of Sharjah poets. This performance explores the shared emotional language of music and verse, bridging traditions of sound and story in a setting designed to inspire reflection and connection.

Winner of the 2025 Fischoff Chamber Music Competition, the Katarina String Quartet is one of North America’s most exciting young ensembles. Currently the Graduate Resident String Quartet at The Juilliard School, they perform a diverse repertoire from contemporary works to folk tunes.

Their 2025-26 season features national and international tours, including Carnegie Hall. They also won prizes at the 2025 Wigmore Hall String Quartet Competition and the 2024 St. Paul Chamber Music Competition.

Founded in 2022 at McGill University, the quartet has worked with renowned quartets and participated in top programs like IMS Prussia Cove and the McGill International String Quartet Academy.

This concert is sponsored by the Fischoff National Chamber Music Association.

Find out more about the Katarina String Quartet.

Dive into their masterful blend of classical and contemporary works and discover why critics call their performances “flat-out amazing.”

Applauded for their “flat-out amazing” performances and “stunning virtuosity” (Cleveland Classical), the highly acclaimed Kenari Quartet delivers inspiring performances that transform how the saxophone is perceived. The quartet highlights the instrument’s versatility by presenting meticulously crafted repertoire from all periods of classical and contemporary music.

Formed in 2012 at Indiana University, the quartet’s name comes from the Malay word kenari, meaning “songbird.” They aim to embody this by communicating with each other and audiences through sound. Their debut album, French Saxophone Quartets (Naxos), features early masterworks by Bozza, Desenclos, Dubois, Françaix, Pierné and Schmitt.

Learn more about the Kenari Quartet.

Program

String Quartet, Op. 50 No. 2 in C major
Joseph Haydn (1787)
I. Vivace
II. Adagio cantabile
III. Menuetto: Allegretto
IV. Finale: Vivace assai

Credo
Kevin Puts (2025)

String Quartet No. 13 in B♭ major, Op. 130
Ludwig van Beethoven (1826)
I. Adagio, ma non troppo – Allegro (B♭ major)
II. Presto (B♭ minor)
III. Andante con moto, ma non troppo. Poco scherzoso (D♭ major)
IV. Alla danza tedesca. Allegro assai (G major)
V. Cavatina. Adagio molto espressivo (E♭ major)
VI. Finale: Allegro (B♭ major)