Performers

David Jordan Harris is co-founder and Artistic Director of Voices of Sepharad. He has pursued study and performance of Sephardic music throughout North America, Morocco, Greece, France, Israel, Turkey, Poland, Bosnia, and Spain. David has received many awards supporting his fieldwork and performances, including grants and fellowships in recognition of his work from the Luce, Jerome, Rockefeller, and Jay and Rose Phillips Family Foundations; Minnesota State Arts Board, Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, United Arts, and the St. Paul Companies. Integrating his skills as a singer, actor, and dancer, David has appeared as guest artist with Zorongo Flamenco, Corning Dances and Company, Walker Art Center, Illusion Theater, Rose Ensemble, North Star Opera, Liz Lerman Dance Exchange, Guthrie Theater, Minnesota Opera, Lyra Baroque Orchestra, Ensemble Espan᷉ol, and In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre. David has co-authored four plays and composed music for the film Romania 1941/Rwanda 1994. He was the founding Executive Director of Rimon: The Minnesota Jewish Arts Council and is interfaith arts special consultant for the Jay Phillips Center for Interreligious Studies.

mick laBriola is a free lance Performer/Percussionist, Educator, Residency Artist, Dance-Theater Accompanist, Technical Advisor, Logistics Coordinator, Stage Manager and all around Renaissance man. mick is a Roster Artist with the Minnesota State Arts Board, COMPAS and the Nevada State Arts Council. Studies include tutelage with James Dutton, Richie "Gajate" Garcia, Pandit Divyang Vakil, Nasser Abido, Pansequito, Alexander Gregoric, Habbi Boula and Gopal Mishra. mick has accompanied Carmela Greco, Gloria de Jerez, Poco Fonta, Christian Lozano, Simon Shaheen, Jaco Mueller, Deepak Bajrucharya, Sakher Hattar, Floyd Westerman, Devon Evans and Ed Volker. Current Projects include Maroons, Karibuni, Maqam, Beau Koo Jacks, Positive Vibrations, Ancestor Energy & Mojo Roots. He is former Music Director for the Oregon Renaissance Festival and Cue Director for Mayday Ceremony for HOBT in Minneapolis.  

David Burk is fascinated by the endless palette of sounds found throughout the world. He plays a variety of stringed instruments used in Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Latin, African, Caribbean, and North American musical traditions. David has performed regularly with The Rose Ensemble (since 2005) as well as with Voices of Sepharad (since 1998), Vanessa Paloma, Yair Dalal, Josh Nelson, Yair Harel, Georges Lammam, Sattar, Robayat, Ethnic Dance Theatre, Intergalactic Contemporary Ensemble, Lau Hawaiian Collective, Silver Swan Chamber Ensemble and many others. David holds a degree in International Relations from the University of Minnesota and has studied ‘ud with Arabic master musicians Simon Shaheen and Bassam Saba. Aside from live performance, David has composed music that can be heard in commercials, films and television shows worldwide.