DHAHRAN: On Thursday night, the award-winning Palestinian oud masters — and brothers — Le Trio Joubran, performed at the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, Ithra, on the first of their two-night run in Dhahran.

Unfortunately, Samir — the eldest brother, who formed the band nearly two decades ago — was unable to join his siblings Wissam and Adnan on stage. But his space in the center of the trio was left untouched, as a visual representation of his presence.

“As you can see, there is a gaping void on stage tonight. Our brother Samir was unable to be with us — despite the greatest efforts from the attentive Ithra and Aramco teams, who are trying until this very moment to get him to join us, so thank you,” Adnan, the youngest of the trio, told the crowd, which almost filled the venue.

“It has now become our responsibility and burden — my brother Wissam and me — to do our best to give you the show you deserve. Usually our brother Samir speaks, but tonight, I’ll ask you to forgive our shortcomings and we hope to give you a good show,” he continued. And they delivered.

The majority of the show — like the majority of Le Trio Joubran’s albums — consisted of instrumental pieces, while a handful were accompanied by Arabic poetry recitals. Joining Wissam and Adnan on stage were percussionist Ruven Ruppik and cellist Valentin Mussou.

Le Trio Joubran bill themselves as the first ever trio of oudists. Hailing from Nazareth, they now divide their time between Palestine and France. Their music often reflects themes of Palestinian identity, as well as the broader human experience. Over the last few decades, their music has been featured in the soundtracks of several films and documentaries, including “The Last Flight” (2009), “Miral” (2010), “Five Broken Cameras” (2011) and “The Messenger of God” (2015).

In 2019, they collaborated with the hugely successful British pop-rock band Coldplay on a song called “Arabesque.”

At the end of their Ithra performance, Adnan spoke again, promising the crowd that they would come back again next year — with Samir. The crowd cheered enthusiastically.

Wissam and Adnan perform again at Ithra on Friday night, July 12.