Enrique Mazzola, the conductor, is the Music Director of the Lyric Opera of Chicago and Principal Guest Conductor at Deutsche Oper Berlin.
Composer Biography
Kinan Azmeh, the composer and clarinetist, is originally from Damascus, Syria, and performs his music globally as a soloist, composer, collaborator, and improviser.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Kinan Azmeh's Clarinet Concerto was commissioned with the intention of being free from programmatic or autobiographical information, focusing instead on musical freedom.
Performer Biography
Kinan Azmeh's album 'Uneven Sky' with the Deutsches SymphonieOrchester Berlin won an Opus Klassik Award in 2019.
Performer Biography
Kinan Azmeh, the clarinetist, has performed with the Grammy Award-winning Silkroad Ensemble since 2012, and was featured as a clarinetist and composer on their 2017 album 'Sing Me Home'.
Composition History
Kinan Azmeh, the composer and clarinetist, was invited to participate in a concert called 'Music Beyond Borders' by the Seattle Symphony in 2017, celebrating cultures of countries affected by a US travel ban.
Compositional Technique
The Clarinet Concerto by Kinan Azmeh includes an introduction, a lullaby, and an ecstatic dance in an Arabic rhythm called 'Katakufti' or 'Nawari,' with ample room for the soloist to improvise.
