A bold collaboration between America's premier new music quartet, Azerbaijan's best-loved traditional singer, and the leading Afghan rubâb player of his generation. Featured works include Homayun Sakhi's luminous "Rainbow," for string quartet, rubâb, tabla, and Central Asian percussion, and spirited arrangements of Azerbaijani songs performed by Kronos Quartet and the Alim Qasimov Ensemble. A March 14th concert at Carnegie Hall kicks off a series of concerts in 2010. Music of Central Asia is a co-production of the Aga Khan Music Initiative in Central Asia, a program of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, and Smithsonian Folkways Recordings. The aim of the series is to present leading exponents of Central Asia's rich and diverse musical heritage to listeners outside the region.