Salam to syria presents

Aleppo intonation of the hearts

'Salam To Syria' chamber music concert series presents: Aleppo Intonation Of The HeartsSalam to Syria music concert series celebrates the diversity of Syrian culture and heritage while facilitating mutual respect and appreciation between Syrian immigrants and host people. The series features artists of Syrian descent and collaborators from various ethnic backgrounds. As part of the program of ongoing exhibition As if at home, artists in Europe, BOX Freiraum would like to invite to a very special classical concert with music by Syrian composers performed by Ashraf Kateb (VIOLIN) and Hamsa Al-Wadi Juris (PIANO), in addition to a reading by Kifah Ali Deeb: excerpt from 'Homeland' (German text presented by Judith Döker).

The musical prgram includes pieces by Syrian composers such as Zayed Jabri (1975-), Dia Succari (1938-2010), Walid Al Hajjar (1932 -), Solhi al-Wadi (1934–2007) amongst others. 

Bio:
Ashraf Kateb is a Syrian-German violinist and composer. His work is driven by a passion for promoting musical culture and conserving Arabic music heritage. Kateb was born in Aleppo, Syria, and studied violin at music academies in Aleppo, Moscow, Berlin and Cracow. He has lived in Berlin since 1992. Since 1997, he has been promoting a pioneering international project titled Arabic Music and the World. He collected and performed the works of leading Arab composers, endeavoring to share with the world the works of creative Arab musicians. Kateb released his first CD Gesture accompanied by Syrian-German Pianist Gaswan Zerikly in 2001. In October 2010, Kateb released and published his new CD Dia Succari, composer from my Aleppo, which was funded by the city of Aleppo and other NGOs. He recorded the complete works for violin and piano of Syrian composer Dia Succari, accompanied by 22 pianists from 21 different nations. In 2015, he was the music director and one of the composers for Intima, a fusion of visual art, dance and music. Kateb also composed music for Wit-ness, a multimedia project grounded in performance art.

Hamsa Al-Wadi Juris is a Syrian-Finnish Pianist born in Baghdad into a family of musicians. She began her musical education at the Damascus Conservatory of Music, founded by Solhi Al-Wadi (1934-2007), her father. He was a composer and conductor, considered to have created Syria’s system of higher music education and to have put the country on the map of classical music. Hamsa had piano lessons first with her mother, Cynthia Everett Al-Wadi (1934-2009), then mainly with Russian pianist Vladimir Bunin. In 1975 she was the youngest contestant at the IX. International F. Chopin Competition in Warsaw. The following year she was admitted to the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory, where in 1982 she graduated with honours and also completed post-graduate studies in 1985. Her teacher was Pavel Messner (1931-2005). At the 1981 International Beethoven Piano Competition in Vienna she was placed fourth. Hamsa is married to distinguished Ecuadorian pianist Carlos (Karl) Juris.

Kifah Ali Deeb: born in Syria in 1982, Kifah is Syrian writer and artist living and working in Berlin. A graduate of the Institute of Fine Arts in Damascus, she participated in many international exhibitions and in 2012, she received the Sharjah Award of Excellence in Arab for Children Literature. Her writings can be found in TAZ and Die ZEIT. 

Judith Döker is an actress, author and photographer. She collaborated on many German film and TV productions and received awards at the Global Art Film Festival in Los Angeles and the Sansevieria Film Festival in Ohio for writing, producing, and starring in the short film „Marlen & Bijou“. In 2012, she moved to Mumbai, India, for two years. Her autobiographic book “Judith goes to Bollywood” was published by btb (Random House) in 2015. In September 2016, she received an „Honorable Mention“ at the „International Photography Awards“ in Los Angeles for her photographs „Hidden Treasures“, taken in the slums of Calcutta. In October 2016, her short story „Bombay“ was released in the anthology „Unbehauste“ - 2. Edition, 24 Autoren über Fremdsein (Dittrich Verlag).

Supported by: 
Almayra Communications
BOX Freiraum
Hauptstadthelfer
Yamaha Pianoworld