BATH – The Alan Shavarsh Bardezbanian Ensemble will play folk and classical music of the Middle East at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 9, at the Chocolate Church Arts Center.

With a combination of traditional Eastern instruments (oud, kanun, violin and dumbeg) and modern Western instruments (guitar, bass and accordion) the ensemble performs the traditional repertoire and modern compositions from Armenia, Greece, the Arab world and the former Ottoman Empire.

The ensemble performs both formal concerts and “Kef” or party dance music. Bardezbanian, aka Al Gardner, has studied the Armenian composers and the Makam system of the Ottoman Empire under musical scholar Esber Koprucu. He has studied the Arabic system as a member of the Arabic Music Retreat and is now a faculty member of the retreat. He began his professional career playing for Armenian and Greek dances as a teenager in the Boston area.

For more information about art center, people can visit the Web site, chocolatechurcharts.org. To volunteer at the arts center, people can call 442-8455.

Tickets are $12 for members of the arts center, $15 in advance for the general public or $16 at the door, and can be by calling 442-8455.