Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra (INSO)

منير عيسى نوري - Munir Allahwerdi

2010-07-20T22:14:00.015-05:00

Munir Allahwerdi was born on March 15, 1926 in Basra, IRAQ. He was one of the early founders of the Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra (INSO), which began its activities in the 1940s.

ولد منير عيسى نوري في 15 آذار 1926 بمدينة البصرة في العراق ، وهو أحد المؤسسين الأوائل للفرقة السمفونية الوطنية العراقية التي كانت بداياتها في عقد الأربعينيات .ا

The following clip features an interview with Munir in Arabic. The clip is a small part of a one-hour interview recorded in Vienna by Wafaa' Al-Natheema on February 11, 2010:

أدناه مقطع قصير من مقابلة مع منير باللغة العربية ، وهو جزء من حوار دام ساعة سجلته وفاء النظيمة في فيينا بتاريخ 11 شباط 2010 .ا

Fuad As-Saden Meets His French Daughter

2010-01-21T09:58:00.020-05:00

After 45 Years of Separation, Fouad As-Saden, Iraqi Violinist, Teacher and One of the Early Founders of the INSO, Meets His French Daughter in Erbil, IRAQ

by Wafaa’ Al-Natheema

Fuad As-Saden with Daughter Yasmin in Erbil

A French woman sent me an email on April 18, 2008 inquiring about whether I knew the whereabouts of Fouad As-Saden, one of the early founders and musicians of the Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra (INSO). She introduced herself as Fouad’s daughter whom she has not seen since 1964. She searched his name on the Internet and was directed to me through this INSO blog, which I have been maintaining for over three years. After we exchanged phone numbers and talked a couple of times, I emailed a large number of Iraqis requesting Fouad's tel. number.

Unfortunately, the number I had for As-Saden when I met and interviewed him in 2003 was not working in 2008! So it took us few weeks before obtaining his valid number. Yasmin, his daughter, contacted the French embassy in Baghdad to obtain his mobile number. Her first call to him was overwhelming having been after 45 years of separation and because they could not understand and hear each other well. She was uncomfortable with English and he was with French. As a result, I phoned him in Baghdad and had a conference call with Yasmin in Paris talking simultaneously. It was a touching voice reunion.

Theirs was an unsuccessful story of mixed marriages between easterners and westerners: The mother left Iraq with Yasmin and they never met with Fuad As-Saden again.

After several attempts of phoning her father and communicating with her half brother, Faris, in the UAE, Yasmin and her husband met with her half brother in the UAE on November 30, 2008. Later in Christmas of the same year, Yasmin’s son, Nicholas, visited Faris. Finally, Fouad As-Saden and his two sons, Faris and Zaid, met with Yasmine on November 13, 2009 in Erbil. This Movie-like reunion lasted for only five days. But for Fouad, it was his first trip outside Baghdad in 25 years!

About flying to Erbil from the UAE, wrote Yasmin, “We had to take a flight by an unknown airline company using an airplane without any logo on it to go to the North of Iraq. It was a strange and stressful situation for me. The flight was postponed for two hours, so we ended up flying at night over Iraq without any flashing lights! This added more stress. We arrived at about 8pm at Erbil airport”

Then she continued, “Zaid, the elder brother came to introduce himself at the reception. It was our first meeting! He was gentle, nice and very shy. He helped us with our luggage. I had stomachache, I felt nauseous, and my heart was beating very strong before going to my father’s house and his wife. I entered first and saw my father; he was sitting on a sofa and his wife was standing up with her arms open to kiss me. After that I sat near my father on the sofa and he took my head in his hands and kissed me. My stress disappeared immediately after our meeting ”

About her father, Yasmin stated, “My father has no teeth. He walks with the help of a crutch taking small and slow steps. Sometimes I was very sad, my emotions were very strong. My father was old, yet I remembered a different image from the distant past, forty-five years ago. I was not sad about my parents’ divorce because it was their concern, but about the fact that I always thought that my father did not care about me. However, after this reunion, I have the answer; he has loved me, and still does.”

Zaid (left) with his father, Fuad As-Saden and Ysmin

Zaid (left), Yasmin, Faris (right) and his mother

The case of Yasmin finding her father through this INSO blog was not the only one in 2008. On July 28, 2008, the German neice of both INSO musicians, Nuri and Ghazi Bahjat, wrote to me inquiring about her uncle's ontact information in Baghdad after twenty-eight years of separation. These stories have elevated the importance of this blog for me. Looking forward to being part of other positive stories.

Fawzi Habboosh & the Physicians Symphony Orchestra

2009-12-30T15:39:00.006-05:00

Fawzi Habboosh, MD

Iraqi Conductor

Please note the new youtube channel for the Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra (INSO), which can be accessed at http://www.youtube.com/user/IraqiNSOrchestra

Subscribe to the channel and receive clips every few months.

By clicking twice on the screen above, you will be automatically directed to the clip at the youtube channel where you find more written description about the clip.

Khatchatur Pilikian: Iraqi Opera Singer

2009-06-22T11:57:00.005-05:00

Courtesy of Khatchatur Pilikian

* Born in Mosul, Iraq in 1939. Khatchtur lived and studied in Iraq, Lebanon and Italy. He left Iraq for Lebanon in 1951/52.

* Khatchatur I. Pilikian is a performing and recording musician (RAI-TV, RCA, Durium, Poetica), painter (Gentes Ars=People’s Art, International Exhibition Prize, Rome, 1961), and a research scholar/lecturer.

* After leaving his studies in architecture at Rome University (1957-1959), Pilikian pursued his art studies at the Fine Arts Academy and the French Academy, both in Rome, while continuing his music studies at Rome’s St. Cecilia Academy and Chigiana Academy in Siena.

* As a leading tenor, Pilikian was invited to Armenia, where he made his debut in 1961, singing the role of Cavaradossi in Puccini’s opera Tosca, at the Spendiarian Opera Theatre of Yerevan, conducted by maestro Yuri Davitian.

* In 1964, Pilikian created two roles in Mario Nascimbene’s TV-opera Faust a Manhattan, conducted by maestro Franco Ferrara and directed by Sandro Bolchi, presenting Italy in the International TV Festival Premio Italia 64.

* In 1970, an original poster in Kufic style, designed by K. I. Pilikian, publicised the First Poetry Encounter—a world conference on Arab poetry, held in Beirut.

* In 1973, Leonardo da Vinci on voice, music and stage design was the title of his research as a Fulbright scholar at Indiana University, Bloomington,

* In 1975, he completed the resident requirements for the Doctor of Music degree.

* In 1976, Khatchatur Pilikian joined the music faculty of Wayne State University (Michigan), where, in addition to his academic responsibilities as a pedagogue/performer with WSU faculty, Professor Pilikian designed and directed an original university radio WDET-FM series entitled HARC-The Heritage of Armenian Culture (sponsored by the Armenian General Benevolent Union—AGBU Alex Manoogian Cultural Fund).

* In Jan. 2002, he took part, as a tenor soloist, with Cahit Baylav (violin) and Hassan Erraji (oud), in the NAZIM HIKMET 100 Celebration Concert at the Queen Elizabeth Hall.

* In April 22, 2006, Pilikian produced and directed his original Audio-Visual Libretto—Harmonic Synthesis of Armenian Poems and Music, for the AGBU 100 Anniversary, Montreal Chapter, Canada.

* Garod Books of the Gomidas Institute has recently published Pilikian’s latest book titled "UNESCO LAUREATES: Nazim Hikmet & Aram Khatchaturian"

* Khatchatur currently live in London.

* He was not affiliated with the Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra (INSO), but as an Iraqi who specializes in western classical music (whether composer, musician or conductor) and/or opera singing, he is featured here.

Listen to his performance here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7x0dfYwusw

Beatrice Ohanessian (1927-2008)

2008-08-12T15:59:00.008-05:00

Beatrice Ohanessian

Pianist and composer

March 15, 1927 in Baghdad - July 17, 2008 in Minnesota
Courtesy of Bassim H. Petros

Fuad Ridha As-Saden & Fuad al-Mashta

2008-05-19T14:51:00.003-05:00

This is a clip from the Documentary Film,

"Baghdad in Four Days"

Video taped in November 2003 in Baghdad

Wafaa' Al-Natheema

The clip includes an interview with INSO founder

and viola player, Fuad Ridha As-Saden who was

teaching at the Music & Ballet School of Baghdad

at the time of the interview

and with Fuad al-Mashta who was a music

teacher at the above mentioned school and a musician with the

Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra (INSO)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXb44Giej2M

Farid Allahwerdi & Jewad Selim

2007-04-25T14:12:00.000-05:00

Picture taken in 1953 at the British Cultural Center

From Left:

Farid Allahwerdi, Jewad Selim and Vartan Manoogian

Also appears Jewad Selim's wife, Lorna (left)

Farid Allahwerdi -- Profile

2007-04-25T12:38:00.000-05:00

Picture taken at the King

Faisal II Hall

on March 6, 1953

Baghdad Philharmonic Society

From left:

Vartan Manoogian-violin, Sandu Albu-violin, Julian Hertz- piano, Farid Allawerdi-viola and André Thoerè- Chello

Farid Allahwerdi (b. 1923 in Basra, Iraq- d. February 2, 07 in Bublin, Ireland)

A composer of modern music and a member of the International Society for Contemporary Music (ISCM). In 1948 he graduated from Law College of University of Baghdad. He studied composition in Paris, Moscow and New York. In 1950, Allahwerdi earned a diploma in violin and piano from the Institute of Fine Arts in Baghdad. He then completed a Master's degree in Music Composition from The Hunter College in NY. His compositions include "Al-Mansooriyya" symphonic poem, which aired on Moscow radio in 1958, and 'Fantasy' for solo violin, and have been performed by many notable performers including Quatuor Margand, the Yasuda Ken-Ishiro String Quartet, the Moscow Radio and TV Symphony Orchestra, Najmi Succari, Vartan Manoogian and Igor Chernyavsky.

Allahwerdi taught musical eduaction, theory and instruments, mainly viola and violin, at Baghdad's Fine Arts Institute (for 25 years) and at The Academy of Fine Arts of Baghdad University (for five years). For over a decade, Farid also taught at the Yarmouk University in Irbid, Jordan. He has received many prizes including the Prix D'Honneur de L'Ecole Nationale de Musique de Saint-Brieuc in 1952. In 1995 he was awarded Honorary Certificate from the Arab League of Music for contribution and promotion of Arabic Music

Allahwerdi lived in Dublin, Ireland, for four years until his death.

The Petros Family in Pictures

2007-04-20T16:28:00.000-05:00

Bassim H. Petros - Profile

2007-04-20T15:48:00.000-05:00

Bassim H. Petros (1934 - )

Born in Baghdad in 1934. He Joined the Fine Arts Institute in Baghdad in 1947 to study Cello under the Sherrif Muhi-ddeen Haydar (Turkish), Hagob Kouyoumidjian (Iraqi) and Adres Taurrer (French). He Joined the Baghdad Philharmonic (INSO later on) in 1948 as a Cellist. Established and presented with Munther J. Hafeth the-first-of-its-kind Baghdad TV weekly program (The World of Music). Bassim is a member of the Iraqi National Music Committee (INMC), the International Music Council (Unesco), the Arab Academy of Music (of the Arab States League) and the Iraqi Artists Union. For five years, he worked at the National Music Conservatory in Amman as Cello and Contrabass teacher and as a member of its orchestra and band. Currently lives in New Zealand.

Bassim's and the family's photos http://insonewsletter.blogspot.com/2007/04/petros-family-in-pictures.html

Dr. Sabah H. Petros - Profile

2007-04-20T15:33:00.000-05:00

Dr. Sabah Hanna Petros (1932 - )

Born in Baghdad 1932. He was a member teaching staff in Radiology and Ultrasound for the 6th year medical students & radiology diploma doctors at Baghdad University (Medical City) from 1972 to 1990. He has written in national and international journals (in most of the Arabic countries, England, France, Belgium, United States , India & Japan) numerous articles (almost all original) on X-Ray and Ultrasound.

Also a graduate of the Fine Arts Institute (1945-1952 part time study) specializing in clarinet. Sabah's clarinet teachers were Mr.Hanna Petros (Father), Mr. Munir Allahwerdi and others. He is a former member in the National Iraqi Symphony Orchestra (INSO) as a clarinet player.

Sabah's and the family's photos http://insonewsletter.blogspot.com/2007/04/petros-family-in-pictures.html

Nuri Bahjat -- Profile

2007-03-17T08:50:00.000-05:00

Nuri Bahjat (1921- )

Graduated from the school of medicine in 1948. He was the first Iraqi doctor to specialize in Physiotherapy. While studying medicine, he joined evening classes to study the violin at ‘Maahad al Fonoon Al Jamila’ or ' The Fine Arts Institute' (1941-1946)

He was one of the members of the INSO when first founded, member of the Music Society in the school of medicine in the 40s, and one of the first to introduce chamber music to the Iraqi public. For those achievements, he was granted in 1991 & 92 a gold medal and the certificate of honour.
He was a faculty member in Maahad Alfinoon AlJamila and a lecturer in the Alfinnon Aljamila Academy 1959-1968.

Ghazi Bahjat in a 1972 Concert

2007-03-17T08:29:00.000-05:00

The information is provided only for the top picture,

which is related to the 1972 concert at Al-Shaab Hall.

Back row (right to left): Zarinba (French Horn), ? (French Horn), Khalaf Jouda (Bassoon), ? (Percussion)

Second row (right to left): Mundhir Jameel Hafidh (Viola), Ghazi Bahjat (Oboe), Valeri Portsky (oboe), Fouad Al-Mashta (flute).

Front row (from right to left): ? Concert Master (Violin), (?) Violin,

George Mann (Violin).
? Contrabass far right is a Russian lady

Note: ? means name is unavailable

Ghazi Bahjat -- Profile

2007-02-10T17:38:00.000-05:00

Concert in December 1964

from right to left:

Ghazi Bahjat

Mr. Schwartz (German)

Dr. Franz Schubert

Ihsan Ad.ham

Ghazi Mustafa Bahjat (1933 - ) :

Performed with the Fine Arts Institute Orchestra from 1954 to 1957 under the Romanian conductor Sando Albo then from 1957 to 1964, he went to W. Germany to further his studies in the oboe instrument. On his return in 1964, Ghazi joined the INSO until 1994 when he left Iraq for Jordan and joined the National Music Conservatory in Amman /Jordan as an oboe player and tutor until 1997 when he left for New Zealand. Since 1981 until he left Baghdad, he worked as an oboe tutor at the School of Music & Ballet. Currently he is a member of the Auckland Symphony Orchestra in New Zealand.

Hanna Petros -- Profile

2007-02-10T16:59:00.000-05:00

1921 photo showing Hanna Petros, music teacher, band master at the Chaldean School in Mosul. He is sitting fourth from the left. One of Hanna's students, Saeed Shabo (famous composer of nationalistic songs) is sitting to the right side of Hanna.

Hanna Petros (1896-1958)

Composer, music educator and the founder of music educationin IRAQ, which included (but not limited to) the Iraqi Army MusicDepartment (1923), the Baghdad Music Conservatory (1936)and the Iraqi Police Music Band (1941). His "Rondo Oriental" was composed in 1937 for piano soloand was presented by the Romanian pianist and pianoinstructor, Julian Hertz, at the conservatory in Baghdad, as well as in Paris, Geneva and London during the 1940s.In the year 1976, the Orchestra's Russian conductor Youri Alieve converted the piece (Rondo Oriental) for string orchestra. It was performed by the INSO in Baghdad, Beruit, Moscow and Amman. Hanna's works included national songs, marshes for Wind Band and works for solo violin and piano.

Munir Allahwerdi at the UN in 1995

2007-01-11T08:09:00.000-05:00

from left:

Reinhard Halsmayer, violin

Herbert Plass, viola

Britta Philipp, cello

Munir Allahwerdi, clarinet

Performing Mozart`s Clarinet Quartet

Picture was taken in 1995 in Vienna at the conference hall of the

United Nations Atomic Energy Agency.

Munir Allahwerdi -- Profile

2007-01-11T07:37:00.000-05:00

1950 Quintet

From the Left:

Munir Allahwerdi, Clarinet

Hagop Kouyoumdjian, cello

Foad Ridha As-Saden, viola

Dr. Sami Sheikh Qassem, violin

Wartan Manoukian, violin

Performing Mozart`s clarinet quintet in A-major KV.581

Munir Allahwerdi (1926 - )

Munir Allahwerdi, residing in Vienna, Austria (as of 2007)

Contact information: Available from Wafaa' Al-Natheema who is reachable at; Alwafanews@aol.com AND aboutfromiraq@yahoo.com

[Former INSO Musician] Born in Basra, Iraq in 1926. Joined the Fine Arts Institute in Baghdad in October 1942. Performed in many chamber music and orchestral concerts in Iraq as well as on radio and TV from 1945 and on mainly as solo clarinetist and sometimes as contrabassist. Created the first clarinet class and taught the instrument at the Fine Arts Institute. Graduated as civil engineer from the Engineering College and as clarinetist from the Fine Arts Institute in Baghdad 1948. Earned Master's of Science degree from the State Univercity of Iowa. Worked as the head of the Arab States unit at the UN Financing System for Science and Technology for Development 1980-1985. In 1985, Munir retired in Vienna where he formed a group of chamber music players from various well-known orchestras and performed in Vienna and in Finland.

From Dr. Nuri Bahjet in Baghdad

2006-12-29T15:40:00.000-05:00

July 2nd, 2006

Dear Wafaa,

I got your letter dated 5 June, addressed to our friends Bassim and Munir with ccd to Ihsan and myself. Then I got a message from Munir on 5th June and 9th June commenting on the subject concerning the establishment of our National Iraqi Symphony Orchestra (INSO) and mainly discussing the role of Albert Chaffo. It is quite a pleasure for me to comment on this rather interesting subject:

1-The statement you read in an article about Chaffo in the early seventies indicating that he had already introduced the whole country of Iraq to music:

I cannot imagine that Chaffo could claim such a think. Before proceeding further, I would like to give you the following information, which should be helpful to enlighten the question:

During the forties, the activities of the Musical Committee in the Royal College of Medicine (being a member myself), the activities during the weekly or monthly gatherings were preparing lectures on classical music, history of music, composers, etc, with demonstration on gramophone records, and occasional recitals, presenting violin duets, trios, string quartets, and the like. The committee thought to give some information about the orchestra, types of the instruments used and the main deference between the orchestra and the band. We wrote an official letter to the concerned authorities in the army, (please see below) requesting the attendance of half military band from the Royal Guard Military Band, to share in the Music Recital, which is planned to be held at the college on 27th Jan.1945. The honorary head of the committee, Prof. Boswell, signed the letter (which I still keep a copy of). The following is the exact copy of our request:

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

لجنة الموسيقى في الكلية الطبية

الرقم

التاريخ: 8/1/1945
الموضوع: .........
سعادة مدير الادارة في وزارة الدفاعارجو السماح لنصف جوق من موسيقى الحرس الملكي بالعزف في الحفلة التي ستقيمها لجنة الموسيقى في الكلية الطبية الملكية و ذلك يوم السبتالموافق 27/1/1945 في الساعة الحامسة بعد الضهر ونشكركم
الرئيس البروفسور س. بوزويل

( التوقيع )-

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2. The program of this humble recital is hand written and poorly penciled was as follows:

A- Welcoming word by Prof. Boswell
B- Lecture by Cap. A.Chaffo L.A.R.M, A.R.C.M, Director of Music, Iraqi Army,
C- Adagio from quintet No. 3 by Hayden (Fine Arts Institute students, names not mentioned).
INTERVAL
D-. Two Violin Duets, (though names not mentioned, as I remember, and as shown in
the poster which I am trying to scan, they were pieces from Jacques Aubert-plaid by
M. Awkati and myself.
E- King Guard Band- conducted by Cap. Chaffo:
Overture Festival,
Oriental Airs
Largo, from the New World- Dvorjak
Carmen, Bizet,
The Royal Anthem
________________________________________________

One can recognize that this recital was a routine thing, and Captain Chaffo was requested to share in it. He was very nice, gave a very efficient conduction of his band and useful lecture. His staff under his conduction presented beautiful classic pieces and quite a clear demonstration of the instruments of their band, (wood, brass and percussion) and comparison between the military band and the symphony orchestra.

3- After he was back in Iraq, was awarded the Worshipful Company of Musicians Medal in England. He must deserve such an Award, possibly as a fine conductor of his Military Band.

4- The government gave him the job of bringing western musical culture to Iraq.
I might admit this claim if any body could give the title or name of such a job.

5- He formed Symphony Orchestra in Baghdad
Why not he gave a name or title for such an orchestra?

6- Started a school of music through which he trained musicians and conductors
The only school of music known at that time and still is, the Institute of Fine Arts, started in 1940-1941; I was accepted in the first year just at this time, together with my medical studies, four years after training on oriental music with simple tutors. Even though it could be well understood that Cap. Chaffo have trained his staff in the Military band on conduction.

7- Dear Wafaa, you enquired about one of Momers recitals, including the name of the composer Boildieu, Francois Adrian,- (Caliph of Baghdad -overture).
This recital was presented in Dec. 12, 1971. The composer was born in Rouen, south west of Paris, wining fame at 25 with the Caliph of Baghdad. The program included, if you are so interested, the following:
A- The above Overture
B- Flute concerto in D major Mozart)
C- First Symphony (C Major) Beethoven
The No of players of the Orchestra participated in this recital were 64
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8- Your enquiry on the establishment of Mahad Al-Moseeqa, I expect that our friend Bassim knows much about it than I do. However, I am copying some of the useful information from a book written by the known painter who died about two years ago, Shakir Hasan Al-Saeed, which I think is worth obtaining.. This information is taken from pages 111 and 128 of his book (presenting it in Arabic):

يعتبر تاسيس المعهد الموسيقي التابع الى وزارة المعارف, عام 1936 , وكان يديره و يشرف على كل شؤنه حنا بطرس حتي عام 1939, حيث استلم ادارته فيما بعد الشريف محي الدين حيدر كمدير للمعهد اولا, وثم كعميد له عندما حوله الى( معهد الفنون الجميلة) عام 1940, بعد ان لاحضت مديرية المعارف نجاحه. وقد بوشر في اول تاسيسه بتدريس الموسيقى الهوائية في فرع الموسيقى الغربية (او العالمية), ثم اضيف الى هذه الشعية شعب جديدة هي الكمان والفيولونسلو والبيانو. اما فرع الموسيقى الشرقية فقد بدا فرع العود اولا ثم اضيف اليه الناي (1938/1939) ثم اضيف فرع القانون (1944/1945). وقد تم اضافة فرع الرسم والنحت عام 1939/1940 , واضيف بعدئذ فرع التمثيل.

ملاحظة: اسم الكتاب اعلاه هو فصول من تاريخ الحركة التشكيلية في العراق

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Wafaa also enquires about a recital, which she has gotten a copy of the invitation cart from me, and states:
The Musical Committee
Royal College of Medicine presents
Chamber Music Recital
Under the direction of
Prof. Walter Jenke.
With members of the Ensemble Class of the Institute of Fine Arts
On Tuseday April 1st, 1947, 9 pm In the College auditorium
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now, and after exactly 60 years, she is asking me to find for her the program of this recital. Searching here and there among the old rotten papers, I couldn’t find the program of that exact recital; but lastly, I was lucky to see among these papers a program of a Chamber Music Recital, also under the direction of Pro. Walter Jenke, and also with members of the ensemble class of the Institute of Fine Arts, but it was held on Friday, May 9th 1947,at 9p.m.,40 days after holding the first recital. The only difference is that this one is held for the benefit of the Armenian Y.M. Association.. This is the program:

1- Quartet for Clarinet and strings Stamitz
Jenke (Clarinet), Baboukhian (violin), Ridha (viola), Kouymoujian (Cello)

2- Trio for two Clarinets and Cello Mozart
Jenke (Clarinet), Munir Allawerdi, (Clarinet), Kouymoujian (Cello)

3- Serenade Eine Nachtmusik Mozart
Members of the Ensemble Class of the Fine Art Institute, including N. Bahjet

INTERVAL

4- Quartet of Strings Mozart
Aram Baboukhian (1.violin, Albert Belboul (2nd Violin,), Jenke Viola Kouymoujian (Cello)

5- Oboe Quartet in F. Major MOZART
Jenke (oboe), Belboul (violin), F. Ritha (viola), Kouymoujian (Cello)

6- Divert for Oboe, 2 Horns and Strings Mozart
Members of the Ensemble Class of the Fine Art Institute, including N. Bahjet

The other subject raising the interest of our dear Wafaa was what happened in the Royal medical college on 22nd April 1944. The program, which I still possess, states the following; you can recognize that the program is not a pure music recital but included some other allied activities which are interesting to discuss:

الكلية الطبية الملكية العراقية ( الحفلة السنوية)ا

السبت 22 نيسان 1944

المنهاج: ا

1- منتخبات من والز شتراوس (الاوركسترا)

2-رقصة المقابر ادور. عباجي و خليل الشابندر

3-د يالوك (السيد والسيدة اء زيا)

-قطعة موسيقية من شوبان الاوركسترا4

-قطعة غنائية 5.

قنطرجيان -6

- الرابسودي الهنككارية نمرة 2 ليتست الانسة سلف بوغسيان7

-اغنية بحارة الفولغا الفرقة8

- فانتازيا (عزف على الكمان سامي الشيخ قاسم) 9

-عزف على البيانو ا. بحوشي 10-

في مخيم النور ( مشهد)فترة ( عشرة دقائق) ا
- عيادة طبيب (رواية تمثيلية ذات فصل واحد)11-

السلام الملكي ختام

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It seems to me that it is quite interesting to Comment on this (Gathering), presented at about the end of the academic year. One can recognize that it is comprised of different items. Small pieces of classic music, stretched in between the other items:

1- Selections from Straus Waltzes, presented by what is considered as (orchestra), in facts they are students of the fine art institute, only three years after its establishment.
2- Item No.4: peace from Chopin, plaid by Orchestra,( Institute students only)
3- Item 5, a song by Kanterjian, (one of the music lovers),just to show sympathy.
4- You see (item 8) a piece played on the violin (Sami Al-Shaikh Qasim), unaccompanied which is rather unusual, also with Miss. Silva Boughousian on the piano alone, though this is rather usual.
5- Item (2)-Dance Macabre, a famous Classic piece, I don’t remember the composer, might be- (Giacomo Meyerbeer??) The two boys (actors) representing two Satan, their faces blackened with charcoal, two horns stuck in front of their heads, dancing here and there, vividly and energetically round the macabre in a horrible way, following the rhythm of the music presented by a gramophone record.

This might show how our music committee was working, preparing a program with music, songs, dramas ,military bands, all with the intention of expansion of music culture, bringing more music lovers to the committee when classic( western) music was only an infant..

NOW, let us come to the message from Al-Wafaa News dated 9th January, which included Munir’s message to Bassim, and me, which seems worthwhile commenting on. To start with my old friend Munir deserves warm greetings from me, from the City of Baghdad, and also from his strong old roots he implanted here in Baghdad and in the INSO.
Munir stated: there is no doubt Chaffo was the first Iraqi to form a symphony orchestra.

I wonder if he will still say so if he reads the information mentioned above. I feel that not a single Iraqi person could claim such an achievement. This might be true not only in Iraq but other countries on earth. The credit should be given, with various degrees, to so many people who offered genuine work for years or may be for decades. My view, which I present here for discussion, is the following:

Before 1937, the year of the establishment of the Al-Maahad Al-Mouseeki, which started teaching in the classic section wind instruments only, it is hard to trace any Classic Western Music in Iraq. When this Maahad (or Center) was established, it was run by Pro. Hanna Petros who acted also as a tutor in wind instruments in this maahad. (See item 9 above page 128 of the book). I remember in 1935, when I was in the last year primary school, Mr. Hanna Petros coming to the classroom with some of his colleagues, and their wind instruments, teaching us new songs (anasheeds) very energetically. What rate this man deserves? He didn’t establish a Symphony Orchestra; but he definitely has put a tiny, but a strong stone in its foundation.

In 1939, (Al-Sharief Muuhyeid deen) took over the Maahad from Hanna Petros, and in 1940; he raised its standards to the Institute of Fine Arts. He added new classes of violin, viola, violoncello, and employed tutors, Professors from other countries, among those are Prof. Julian Hertz , the famous Piano tutor, and Said Enys Djameel, violin and viola tutor, (premier prix du Conservatoire de Paris), who taught me violin, starting from1940-1941. Those two and Sando Albo, the very serious violin tutor, didn’t establish a symphony orchestra, but they have the credit to teach tens if not hundreds of student who shared in its establishment, apart from you, my dear Munir, and your brother Farid and my brother Ghazi Bahjet, and our active friend Ihsan as well as tens others who many of them have been enjoying their work in the Diaspora,..

I am sure, my dear Munir, that as a professional musician you understand such a question better than me and am feeling awkward to mention this for you. The orchestra was not established with 60-70 players all of a sudden. It was started with simple duets after the encouragement of Prof Djameel, duets on two violins, for the first time in Baghdad in the auditorium of the medical college since the early forties. Two violins playing simultaneously, in a mode of counterpoint, played and appreciated for the first time in the city of Thousand and One Nights.

In 1944, with much regret, the exact date is missing, students of the fine art institute performed on the ground of the Royal College of Medicine, and for the first time, the first violin concerto of Beethoven. The soloist and conductor was Prof. Djameel Said. That ensemble, students of the Fine Art Institute of whom, I was a member on the second violin, was not a symphony orchestra, but it was definitely the long and definite way to it. In 1945, Prof. Said was called for military service in France, left Iraq to be followed by Prof. Sando Albo, who was again may tutor, not at all an easy one and was not less energetic. Now, concerts are more frequent, this new type of music is more appreciated by the public. Cultural institutions from various countries, British, French, Russian, German, Spanish, Austrian, all these institutions shared in performing recitals of various categories, Soloists with various instruments invited from different countries are now sharing in this continuous festival. Lending classic records, meetings and lectures, all in the way of extending music culture in the country.

In 1960-61, the conductor Siegfried Stolte was the conductor of the (growing) orchestra. The number of the players under his conduction in the concert performed on April 8th was only 6, among was Prof. Petros Hanna Petros on the trumpet.

At last, Prof. Hans Gunter Momer, from Germany, appeared from behind the clouds somewhere in the early sixties. He must have definitely received an invitation from muse, the sister goddesses of Arts. He put his feet down from the flying carpet, directly in the city of the one hundred night and one night, to complete the whole picture. Adequately prepared and trained musicians for all sorts of music instruments, practicing for at least for 20 years, now are ready to burst and to be organized as a developing orchestra of the ancient city.

Baghdad flourished with songs, music and music lovers and enthusiasts for two decades, waiting for two Hercules to appear again from behind the clouds, one rising from Mesopotamia itself, the other came from (across the continents), far away, one after the other, enjoying, the distraction, burning and sacking every thing, to compete with their ancestor Nero Claudius Germanicus, the fifth Roman Emperor, in burning and sacking Rome in the year 64 AD.

Note No.1-

Dear Wafa, Knowing that you are so interested in the history of Classic Music in Iraq, I am trying to send four attachments showing some of the activities of our music committee in the old days. The rotten papers were not discovered by either of the Hercules above, who worked hard enough to (finish) the main Art Center of Plastic Art and the Main museum among every other cultural institution.

Note No. 2-
Again the sister Goddess Muse appeared unexpectedly, this time you don’t know from where! Four invitations for attending Music Recitals, starting from 28 Jan.2006, the last on 5th May. The first one performed on violoncello and Piano, the second, Violoncello, Clarinet and piano. The third Violoncello and piano, the fourth is the same. The standard of those Iraqi artists was extremely high, as I felt, and the number of those who have had the chance to be one of the attendants, is of course rather minimal. These activities were beautifully organized by the Iraqi Center for Development and International Dialogue, directed by Mr. Mahdi Al- Hafudh, Parliament member. Many attendants here claim that they recognized the sister Goddesses Muse, entering the main hall, hand in hand with Mr. Mahdi. After the recital, the goddesses were seen scattered in the garden among the visitors joining the generous snacks and beverages, prepared so nicely by Mahdi. All the attendants came and returned back home safely, though it is not yet known how much of the protection is attributed to the Army Tanks, in relation to that offered by the clever Muse Art Goddesses sisters who were so keen to see with extreme interest that all are safe and are really consuming what they are hearing whatever the surrounding environment was!!

Love
Nuri M. Bahjet

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Responding to Nuri Bahjet

Dear Nuri,

I was delighted to receive your email and wish you the best of health and happiness. Thank you for your valuable comments and contribution to Wafaa`s work on the history of INSO. I think you and I agree in our views on the role of Albert Chaffoo in giving Iraqi music lovers the opportunity to hear live classical music performed by Iraqi nationals be it through his military band or his "make shift" symphony orchestra.

In the College of Medicine, you and our friend, the late Sami and Mustafa Edhem (viola), played a significant role in leading the way to the idea of INSO. In your remarks on a concert where Said Enyss Djameel played Beethoven`s violin concerto, and because during the same event a string ensemble participated, the impression was created that the ensemble accompanied Djameel for the violin concerto which as you know is not correct. Djameel was accompanied on the piano by Julian Hertz.

I was particularly happy to notice in your email that my old friend Mehdi Alhafudh has organized a concert in Baghdad. Please give him my best regards if you see him again. We were friends during his sejoure in Vienna and I, upon his request I introduced him to classical music here by taking him to orchestral and even chamber music concerts. He arranged for my string players and me to give two concerts in the United Nations. Best regards to Fuad Ridha as well.

Your old fiend
Munir Allahwerdi

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Dear Nuri:

Here are my comments regarding the points you've presented in your detailed and appreciated note:

You wrote in point 1, "The committee thought to give some information about the (orchestra), types of the instruments used and the main deference between the (orchestra) and the (band).

Knowing you were discussing the time of Chaffo and later the activities at the college of medicine, it is important to refer to it as an ensemble, chamber, quartet, etc. rather than an orchestra because it didn't become an orchestra, in the definition of an orchestra, until 1959.

In the same point 1 you provided an interesting date (Jan. 27, 1945) for the concert to be held at the medical college, which adds more confusion to the already known dates for this concert. I previously emailed this paragraph here it is again just to refresh our memories:

" 5. I have with me two historic programs of performances at the Royal College of Medicine. I think I obtained them from Dr. Nuri Bahjat, but not sure! Actually, they are three documents. The first indicates that The Baghdad Baroque Ensemble with Conductor Hans Mommer was taken place at the Center of English Studies (Waziriya) on Friday, February 11th (no year???). The second indicates that a concert (without the name of the Orchestra being printed) was taken place at the Royal College of Medicine on Saturday, April 22 1944 with no documentation
of the conductor's name!. The third is a ticket with a seat category (200 fils) that documents the name of the group as the Chamber Music Recital, conducted by Walter Jenke at the Royal College of Medicine on Tuesday, April 1st 1947.

Do you know how many chamber/orchestral music performances were performed at the College of Medicine in the 1940s? Do you know who conducted the April 22, 1944 concert at the medicine college? Do you have the program of the first concert performance at the college of medicine? "

In point 5 of your email, you were commenting on the newspaper's quote, "He formed Symphony Orchestra in Baghdad" talking about Albert Chaffoo. Neither he nor anyone formed a Symphony Orchestra until 1959.

It will be great if Munir, Fu'ad Mishu and Bassim comment on the issue of Chaffoo starting a music school in point 6.

Thank you for providing the complete program of one of Mommer’s recitals and of a concert at the medical college.

In addition to the dates I already mentioned in my email (in the colored paragraph above), you have added other concerts and dates attributed to the medical college.

I wish we establish a chronology of these concerts along with the names of whether they were chamber, ensemble, quartets, orchestra, etc.., date and who conducted them (if available). Both Munir and Bassim indicate the Walter Jenke never conducted!

Of course the entire following page (without numbers) that you wrote needs verification and commentary by Munir and Bassim.

The minute I receive detailed commentary about your reply, I will post them with this minor correction along with the commentary by others!

Thanks again from beloved Baghdad. I wish you strength and patience at this harsh time we Iraqis are facing. I also hope that Hameed Issa received my email reply, and that he is well along with all his family members. I ccd my reply to few on this list, so I hope it was received.

Please send my greetings to your wife,

Gratefully,
Wafaa' Al-Natheema
http://insonewsletter.blogspot.com/

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The three dates given by Dr. Nuri interest me;

1-The 1944 April 22 could be the one in whic Hanna Petros conducted the string ensemble. If this assumption is not true, then I was a participant in performimg alongside other students from the Institute.

2- The January 27,1945. January would have been too cold to have a concert in the garden. Therefore it could not be the one in which Hanna Petros conducted. And if so then I could have been a participant but not remembering what did I play.

3-The April 1st.1947. For this, there are photographs available. The participants were the leading members of the Fine Arts Institute orchesta ( Better if called ensemble) for which Jenke was described as the director.

200 fils for entry to a concert given by amateurs was high a price. We should have paid the audience money for bothering to come !!. On the other hand, entry to concerts given by Prof. Hertz or Albu were half to one dinar. About the Wazeeiyeh concert I know nothing except, maybe, for its relation to Ihsan who played solo flute in it. I had already left Iraq by then.

Munir

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Dear Wafaa:

I am not going to deal with Nuri’s notes in details, but giving you once again some facts. One should differentiate between (Symphony Orchestra) and (Symphonic Music)
And other musical forms and groups.

Those activities, mentioned in Nuri’s paper, were mostly performed by smaller chamber music groups (Quartets – etc.) and Military Bands (Not Orchestras).
Munir, for example, (who among others including my two brothers Petros and Sabah) was the very pioneering musicians in gathering such groups (performing concerts here and there).

I personally started in 1952 along with other three musicians (including Munther) our (Hayden String Quartet) under supervision of Sandu Albu – we never referred to this as (symphonic music). And on top of all were the ‘Fanfare’ Wind Instruments Bands organized and led by my father (Hanna Petros) since the early 1920s in Mosul, then through Baghdad Teacher’s Training Institute – Music Institute (Maahad al Mosseqa) – Iraq Scouts Movement and the Fine Arts Institute. All these were not (Symphonic Music) nor (Symphonic Orchestras)

Gathering from the above brief, that Walter Jenke, in his capacity as instructor of Wood Winds section in Maahad al Fonoon Al Jamila (1946 - 1948), he did not conduct any Orchestra, but supervised his Wood Winds groups. He was a highly qualified teacher of Clarinet.

Finally, it is not easy to deal with historic issues; unless gathering and analyzing documentary references; accordingly, the very first ‘gathering of musicians into String Orchestra’ under the umbrella of the Fine Arts Institute (Maahad al Fonoon Al Jamila) was that of 1941 conducted by Hanna Petros in its only performance at the Royal College of Medicine in Baghdad, Which was considered as the ‘Founding Stone’ of the IRAQI NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA (INSO).

The 50th INSO anniversary celebration, which we organized in 1991, was based on this fact, and officially recognized by the INSO department through the Ministry of Culture and information.

Finally, INSO was born and raised within the Fine Arts Institute; if there were some other Orchestras, they should not be referred to our INSO issue.
You will get the documentations later.

Bassim
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Dear Wafaa:

- Nuri’s involvement in INSO was his participation in the first concert of 1941. He had other activities with chamber music smaller groups

- Walter Jenke, who I remember well, was an excellent friendly person served as teacher, musician and instructor for student’s activities. He never conducted any orchestra.

- Chaffo conducted his Military Band Orchestra but had absolutely nothing to do with the INSO.

- Throughout the life of the INSO, there were few personnel who contributed in writing/editing musical literature programs and posters, among them were Hamdi Qadouri, Lamman al Bakri, myself, Mazin al Zahawi, Ghazi Bahjat: every one has had his own style writing (in Arabic and/or English). This gives an idea of the use of certain proper words, like Conductor, or Conducted, etc. It was not an easy task.

Best regards.
Bassim

Encls.: 1921 photo showing Hanna Petros as music teacher, Band Master at the Chaldean School in Mosul; one of his students was Saeed Shabo (famous composer of Anasheed Wataniya) sitting to the very right side.
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Dearest Dr. Nuri:

First of all, thank you so much for your important memories with explanation about the classical and sym. music and arts in the Iraqi society.

1- It is very important for me to know with your historical details during the forties about the music activities of the musical committee in the Royal College of Medicine -Baghdad (as you were active member in, as I believe).

2- I think that was parallel together with the music activities in Maahad Al-Moseeqa, later Fine Arts Institute ( F A I ) - MUSIC DEPARTMENT, also you were studing the music there in that period.

3- You and the other musicians and artists from your generation, all were the pioneers whom established the basic of the Symphonic and classical music in and arts in the Iraqi society.

4- Since 1953, when I started to study the music at the FAI, I knew the talented musicians and teachers, and artists like: Farid and Munir Allawerdi , Aram Tajirian, Aram Bboukhian, Fouad Ridha, Hamdi Qaddoori, Sami Shaikh Qassim, Biatris Ohanisian, Silva Boghosian , Petros H. Petros as well as his father ( Prof. Hanna Petros ) who was the director of Maahad Al-Mouseeqa 1936-1939, Jawad Salim, Faik Hassan, Haqi Al-shibli, Ibrahim Jalal and others.. Of course you too and later you were teaching the Anatomy to the students of the plastic arts department in FAI ,THOSE ALL IRAQIS PLUS THE LEADER OF THE WESTERN MUSIC DEPARTMENT IN FAI Prof. Sando Albo, violin, viola as well as the conductor of the FAI orchestra, Prof. Julian Herz - Piano (both from Romania), Prof. Adnan Qopouz fom Turkey, wood winds + percussion +contrabass.

5- I remember also there was exist at that time Hayden Chamber group or Quartet, the members were from the teachers and advanced students in FAI, I can not remember their names, perhaps our dears Munir and Bassim to remind us. I am sure they performed and played many concerts at that period, it will be interesting if we can get some of their programs.

6- During the period 1953-1962 of my study at the FAI, I knew the foreigner musicians who taught at the FAI:

Martin Wolf - Flute, Germany, he was my first teacher.
Wolfgang Teising - Cello, Germany
? Hommel - Clarinet, Austria
? Falcon -Oboe , Chec .
Franz Schubert - Flute, Chec , he was my last teacher.
Kobitsa- Clarinet + bassoon, Chec, with his wife famous Solo Clarinet.
Siegfred Stolta - Leipzig , at that time east Germany : Conductor, Bassoon + Composition , Harmony,
Mukerem Berk -Flute, Turkey ,I have been study with him too.
Raafat Yalbaz-Oboe, Turkey.
Masaood Jamil - Cello, Tamboor ,Turkey .
Najdat Varol - Qanoon. Turkey.
Jawdat Chaghla - Violin, Turkey.
Jan Drat - Piano, Poland.
George Mann - Violin , harmony, chamber music (Hungary) , short times he conducted the INSO .
Elisabeth Shkora - Cello,Hungary

7- I remember also The Baghdad Philharmonic Society, and Baghdad String Quartet.. founder Aram Tajirian.

8- In the fifties famous musician Sharif Mohi Al-Deen Haydar (former dean of FAI) came to visit his brother Mohammed Ameen Haydar, he was the dean of FAI in that period, Sharif he performed and played concert at the hall of FAI, I was in that concert, he played the 1st.half of the program. The 2nd half of program, he performed on his Cello famous compositions by great European composers, the piano accompaniment was by Julian Herz, unfotunately I left or lost most of my musical and art archives , books, music notes and important programs of the INSO and chamber music groups which I played with all.since I left iraq in 1998.

9- My generation and I, who studied at the FAI, have been influenced by your generation dear Dr. Nuri , and we continued developing the music activities after your steps in the Iraqi Society .

10 - The conclusion was 1960-1961 the INSO, IRAQI NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA began (During the period of the Iraqi National Leader A. K. QASSIM) when all music teachers and advanced students with the big help of the artist Dr. Khalid Al-Jadir who was the dean of AFI in that period. I think we all succeeded and our dear INSO MEMBERS STILL ALIVE AND PERFORMING CONERTS WITH ALL BAD AND SAD DESTRUCTION OF OUR MOTHERLAND IRAQ.

11- I shall leave our dear friend Bassim to continue the writing of the history of music life and history of the INSO. As far as I knew, Bassim started working seriously on this great subject few years ago and we exchanged the information and memories with important details, programs, conductors and so on. We are waiting for Bassim’s important book.

12- Thank you so much dear Dr. Nuri for informing us about the recent music activities since Jan. 2006 through 5th. May 2006. Also I heard that the INSO played a concert last month at Nadi Al-Sayed in Mansoor, which is near your house. Thanks for MUSE ART GODDESSES who helped you all to see and listen with extreme interest to the music and returned you all back home safely.

God bless and save you all from the daily fire in Iraq and in each place, may our Great god will bring good fortune prosperity, happiness and peace for our motherland, IRAQ AND ALL IRAQIS.

With best wishes and regards.
Yours,

Ihsan Ad.ham

Report by INEAS -- December 2003

2006-12-14T17:24:00.000-05:00

The December Newsletter of the Institute of Near Eastern & African Studies (INEAS), a non-profit organization in Cambridge, MA.
Website: http://www.INEAS.org

Inside This Issue:

1. Commentary by Wafaa' Al-Natheema, Founder of INEAS, on the concert of the IRAQI National Symphony Orchestra (INSO) at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC.

2. A selection of letters via email and mail from artists and activists regarding the INSO concert in DC.

3. "IRAQI Symphony Upstages President Bush" by Mike Zmolek of the National Network to End the War Against Iraq.

4. Barbara Jepson's article in the NY Times (Sunday, December 7th, 2003) about the INSO's history and the Kennedy Center performance, along with a note from our Institute.

5. News about the Report on the visit to Baghdad by our Institute's women's delegation in November 2003.

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1. Great Music Washed Away A Residue of Pain by Politics
By Wafaa' Al-Natheema

Many have been angered and very disappointed about the collaboration of the State Department and the Kennedy Center to invite the INSO to DC on Tuesday, December 9th. They were equally concerned about how the Iraqi members of the Orchestra allowed themselves to be used by the Bush administration. Further criticism came after seeing Bush, Powel, Rumsfeld and other politicians attend the concert and give an unpleasant and fact-distorting speech (by Powel) about hope and freedom!

Despite the political controversy that overshadowed the project of helping and promoting the INSO, the music performed at the Kennedy Center concert was so superb, it washed away the tension and the disappointment of many. Mohammed A. Ezzat's composition, "Three Fragments" was the best piece performed that night, with all do respect to Beethoven and his fans. It had an exquisite melt of feelings and power from East and West. It penetrated the soul narrating many stories. When the piece ended, my Bravo came out first and loudest. Unfortunately, it is unavailable on CD.

The concert Program included pieces by Beethoven, Bizet, Ezzat, Sagirma and Faure. Members of the Iraqi Orchestra have been working tirelessly for months in preparation for this concert. Indeed they are talented, committed and courageous. However, some history-and-music distorting facts were printed in the program of that evening's concert:

The music instruments, daf, santur, tar, oud and zarb (or tabla, drum) were enlisted as Kurdish instruments! I did not understand the logic behind this gross error other than politics again. There was Kurdish artists wearing Kurdish costumes and playing some Kurdish composed tunes, but none of the instruments mentioned above are Kurdish (in origin or in later development). These instruments were never referred to as Kurdish before this concert took place! If the INSO and the Americans helping with this project wanted to present a cultural event that truly represents Iraq's ethnic minorities and the majority (of Arabs), they should have done it differently. The American and European media seem to emphasize such a distorted picture of Iraq's ethnic majorities and minorities. Barbara Jepson's article in the NY Times (December 7th, 2003) states, "The Orchestra's present ranks include Kurds, Sunni and Shiite Muslims and Assyrian Christians." Hisham Sharaf, the INSO director, was quoted in the Los Angeles Times (November 6, 2003) stating, "We want to be an example. We are Kurds, Turkmen, Shiite, Sunni, Christians. We are a family."

These are only two examples of so many quotes about Iraq's ethnic and religious communities, quite an "Iraqi family" presented by some members of the INSO and the western media. It seems that there is some kind of an alergy developing from or a conspiracy against the Arab and Moslem majority in the society while also neglecting the mention of other ethnic and religious group! In fact with regard to the INSO, Armenians were a considerable percentage among its composers and musicians and among the present body of the Orchestra, yet they never get enlisted. Currently, two of the three women musicians in the Orchestra are Armenians. The only Iraqi woman composer to receive a grand piano imported especially for her by the Iraqi government in the early 1980s was Beatrice Ohanessian, an Armenian. One of only two musicians who have been performing with the Orchestra since the 1940s is an Armenian by the name of Nubar Pashtikian. Iraq's Armenians and (nearly all) Arabs did not collaborate with the USA in its recent war against Iraq. That explains it!

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2. Letters from activists/artists:

Following the Kennedy Center concert, we've received two letters from George Capaccio, a writer, storyteller and an activist, and from Jessica Stensrud, a musician and an activist:

[ Dear Wafaa':

I happened to read an article published in the Independent in which you were quoted. You were talking about the recent visit to Washington by the Iraqi Symphony Orchestra. I also read Felicity Arbuthnot's commentary on this visit. It amazes me that it happened at all. I started watching the concert on TV but couldn't bring myself to continue. I kept thinking about the fact that Powell, Rumsfeld, Rice, Bush were all sitting there and feeling so good about themselves, and that the American public was probably doing the same thing. I suppose I can understand how the musicians regarded this visit as a major opportunity not to be missed. But how on earth did they find the largeness of heart to perform in front of the very individuals who organized the invasion of their country and are now overseeing its occupation. I seethe with anger at the mere sight of Rumsfeld and the rest. I cannot imagine performing for them.
George Capaccio
December 13, 2003]

(*_*)_________________(*_*)

[To Whom It May Concern:

December 12, 2003

I am writing as a concerned musician and citizen of the United States on behalf of the Iraqi National Orchestra. I surely do not have extensive knowledge of the particulars of Iraqi or Arab history, religions or sects. However, I do feel quite strongly that the United States government as regards this orchestra and its musicians is generating the wrong idea. As a musician myself, I feel I can understand that these musicians are non political in their outlook. However, as artists, they represent the greatest product of a culture: its art. They are trying to preserve their way of life as musicians and as proponents of Iraqi culture. If these people lose this identity, then we all lose. We may in the end achieve a monotone general culture with little distinction or interest.

We have lost a museum full of antiquities and records of ancient civilization in Iraq, which affects us all. We all cannot afford to lose more even if it seems to not be our own to lose. I don't feel the United State government can afford to be so short sighted and closed minded to the need to validate other cultures especially ones that we are saying that we are "rescuing" from dictatorship.

In watching a CBS broadcast of a performance of INSO at the Kennedy Center, I was alarmed to see Colin Powell delivering a short statement to say that the concert was "a sweet sound for peace." Perhaps his remark was innocent in its intention, but I felt it entailed a sort of hijacking of the misery that these people have endured for the purpose of a politically motivated sound bite. Sure, the Iraqis want peace and freedom, but they also want and deserve their own culture. If we mean to help others as we say, then we must see first who we are helping and actually communicate WITH THEM to find what they need, what their concerns are and how we all can work TOGETHER. We cannot just make assumptions, make hasty destructive actions, react to negative displays from people trying to protect themselves and their culture and then use their very misery and attempts to receive help as a tool for our political and financial gain.

I will finish by saying that I have always thought this country, the U.S.A., was built on its own religious principles whereby others are treated as we ourselves wish to be treated as well as the injunction to "love thy neighbor as thyself." I am very concerned that these philosophies do not seem to be being upheld as regards our dealings with Iraq and other Arab nations.
Thank you,
Jessica Stensrud]

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3. Iraqi Symphony Upstages President Bush
By Michael Zmolek

Security was tight as President Bush, Colin Powell and the other starsof the Bush Administration were attending a performance of the IraqiNational Symphony Orchestra (INSO) playing with the (U.S.) NationalSymphony Orchestra (USNSO) at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC on December 9th, 2003. I managed to arrive only just in time for the music, missing speeches by Kennedy Center President Michael Kaiser and Secretary of State Colin Powell.

As I waited with a frustrated crowd outside the barred doors of the auditorium, Powell told the audience that the INSO "testifies to the power of the arts to keep hope alive even under the cruelest oppressors" (by which we assume he meant Saddam and not the U.S.-led sanctions). The line into the parking garage had been moving at a snail's pace, aseach car was searched by bomb-sniffing german shepherds. I was asked to pull my car aside for a second check. I thought perhaps this was because the dogs had picked up the scent of my own dog on the upholstery. But when a secret service agent came over to chat, and asked me about the www.endthewar.org bumper sticker on my car, I figured that was probably the reason for delay #1.

Delay #2 came in the lobby where a sizeable crowd was held up at a security check point right behind the ticket-takers.I did not go for the music. I went to show solidarity with an orchestra that to many represents a nation's pride and its dignity.

The INSO had struggled through the '90s, being short on strings and reeds, just asIraqis suffered from shortages of food, fuel and all necessities. Even sheet music had been banned under sanctions, and I knew of many peacegroups and orchestras in the U.S. who had undertaken to send parts, music and instruments to the INSO in defiance of the absurd 'dual-use'policy of sanctions. I had seen Mohammed Amin Ezzat, the INSO's conductor, interviewed in John Pilger's film Paying the Price: Killing the Children of Iraq, which documented the devastating effects of sanctions on Iraqi civilians and children. In the interview Ezzat, through an interpreter, explained that his wife was badly burned by a noil cooker that exploded in their home. Due to sanctions, thousands of Iraqis turned to cheap oil cookers as a replacement for electric stoves, but they were prone to igniting and exploding.

USNSO Conductor Leonard Slatkin conducted the up-beat opener by Beethoven, and you immediately liked him-this white-haired dwarf whose body convulsed as if the music were an electric current running through him. You could even say he was dancing. Ezzat then took the baton to conduct his own composition: Three Fragments. As this piece unfolded, I gradually forgot about the political nature of this performance-the presence of Bush and his entourage, the fact that the State Department was sponsoring the event*-and was swept away by the music. With three movements, each based upon the musical traditions of Iraq's three major regions (North, Central and South), the music seemed to be telling a story. It was a piece of music that ebbed and flowed, with lyrical traditional melodies woven into a somber, often sad, but dramatic work. For me, it was a reminder that even in a country like Iraq during the sanctions decade of the '90s, even in the midst of a country racked with tragedy, bombings, starvation, military dictatorship, there is still genius at work-a mind is working away at creating something that feels inspired by a divine passion, that takes us beyond the experience that can be described in books and journals and makes a statement through another medium that is captivating and expresses something out of time.

World-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma played the lead solo in the third piece, a sad French 'Elegie', almost a dirge. He rocked forward and backward, caressing his cello almost as if it were a lover, but with a deep painon his face. I thought of hundreds of thousands of Iraqi children who but for sanctions might have lived to hear such graceful music.

Next, Ezzat conducted the fourth piece by fellow composer and INSO member Abdulla Sagirma (who was present on stage), a piece that featured a troop of Kurdish players in traditional garb playing traditional Iraqi instruments. When Slatkin came out for the fifth piece he gave what was surely the best speech of the night, talking about how music is truly the universal language and how the performers met only the day before and immediately fell into all sorts of conversations about such details of the art as mouthpieces and technique. And I reflected upon how strange it was that it was possible for Iraqis and Americans to blend together into one big, amazing orchestra to produce truly beautiful music together, while at the very same time in Iraq, Americans andIraqis were trading mortal fire. Slatkin conducted an arrangement of atraditional Iraqi tune called Over the Palm Trees, arranged by German composer Mommer, which when put next to Ezzat's fresh and emotive piece felt artificial, but suitable for this event in that it came from a colonial time when Iraqi art was to Europe only something to be appropriated.

Ezzat 'traded places' and conducted a traditional European piece by Bizet to close the event. Bush and Co. left immediately, and the audience was instructed to remain in their seats for ten minutes. In that moment, it was eery the way power had a kind of freezing effect on the warmth of the event. At the reception there was a sense of jubilation among the INSO's performers, who had been flown from Baghdad for only a three-day visit. Some commented on the way the Kennedy Center reminded them of one of Saddam's palaces-very tacky.

But when Rend Rahim Francke, the new U.S. envoy to Iraq, took the microphone to talk about what a glorious day was dawning for the 'new Iraq', it felt as if all the elites had not left with Bush. Her expensive and uptight dress and makeover, and a very American accent, made me wonder when was the last time she had spent time in Iraq. I later learned that she was born in Lebanon, lived her life in London and was married to an American. Having never actually lived in Iraq, she could sit with Newt Gingrich, and a host of ex-generals and military contractors on the "Committee for the Liberation of Iraq," perhaps not knowing or caring about the "price" ordinary Iraqis had paid for Saddam's sins under sanctions.

Whatever capacity for music appreciation President Bush or Condoleeza Rice may have, I could not help but feel that the INSO was brought to please the 'emperor' as a prize art ensemble of a people currently undersubjugation. It had that feel to it, although the INSO is clearly thrilled to be touring again and parched for international recognition. And I had little doubt that for Bush this was a publicity stunt to get some political brownie points by trying to show some appreciation for Iraq and Iraqi culture. But why be so transparent? Why not leave the State Department out of it and let it be all about art? Then it might not be so suspect. The most troublesome aspect of the whole affair was that back home in Iraq, the insurgents are targeting those who appear to be collaboratingwith the occupation. Iraqis who know the musicians personally aredeeply worried that they could be targeted when they return to theturmoil of the U.S. occupation in Iraq. These concerns cast a shadow over the motives behind staging the event and allowing it to besponsored by the US State Department.

*Note: the December 9th concert was jointly sponsored by the U.S. State Department and the Kennedy Center. The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has launched 'Operation Harmony,' a project to collect donated instruments and spare parts in collaboration with the Department of Defense and the Pentagon. These parts and instruments are to be airlifted to Iraq by the Pentagon.

Michael Zmolek is the Outreach Coordinator for the National Network to End the War Against Iraq. He can be reached for interviews at: 301-270-4858; 888-363-2927 toll free.

/\/\/\/\/\\\\\\\/\/\/\/\

4. Please note that we will be emailing you a commentary about Barbara Jepson's article (below) shortly with a copy to the editor of the NY Times and to Barbara Jepson. We hope you follow up and write to them as well.

Here is the article:

This Battle of the Bands Is Peaceable
By BARBARA JEPSON

December 7, 2003 Soon after the Arab press reported that the Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra and the National Symphony Orchestra of Washington would play alongside each other at the Kennedy Center, Hisham Sharaf, the director of the Iraqi orchestra, was shot at as he drove down a highway near his home in Baghdad. A bullet penetrated his windshield, but missed him."I don't know who or why," Mr. Sharaf said recently from Baghdad. "I think maybe it's because of the concert. On Al Jazeera, they say they are surprised that the orchestra goes to Washington at this time. We don't have political reasons. Maybe the American side thinks about that, but we go to play music, to see the American people and to show we have culture. Some people think we have only desert and camels."

The concert, a free, hour long event on Tuesday evening, mixes European classics with recent and traditional music by Iraqi composers. Leonard Slatkin, the music director of the National Symphony, shares the podium with Mohammed Amin Ezzat, the conductor of the Iraqi National Symphony. "We're trying to find a way to use music to combat what was a tragic circumstance," Mr. Slatkin said from Washington, "no matter what side of the Iraqi argument you come down on." But political overtones have shadowed the venture.

It is the first of several initiatives by the State Department to restore cultural exchange between Iraq and the United States after nearly 13 years of United Nations sanctions. Perhaps inevitably, some argue that the Iraqi orchestra is being used. "I'm furious that our government is trying to put a happy face on the extinguishment of the cradle of civilization," said Patrick Dillon, an independent filmmaker who shot in Baghdad before and after the American-led assault and is a vocal critic of the war effort.

Michael Kaiser, the president of the Kennedy Center and a cultural ambassador for the State Department's Culture Connect program, said from Washington that the idea for the invitation was entirely his."It's critical to give visibility not just to the Iraqi National Symphony but to all the arts in Iraq," Mr. Kaiser said. "I also believe the arts can play a role in healing and a role in educating us about Iraq, and the sooner the better in both cases. "The Kennedy Center is covering the cost of the National Symphony's appearance and the use of the hall, and the State Department is paying transportation and lodging expenses for the 60-member Iraqi orchestra, Mr. Kaiser said. But in his view, the event has no more political significance than the restoration of the State Department's Fulbright scholarship program in Iraq.

To muddy the waters further, two assistants to L. Paul Bremer III, the top American civilian administrator in Iraq, play with the understaffed Iraqi orchestra as substitutes. Asked how he felt about their participation, Mr. Sharaf, the orchestra's director, said: "The problem every time is between the governments, not musicians. We speak the same language do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, si, do."

The political connection has proved advantageous for the orchestra. One assistant, who started a corporate donor program for the Coalition Provisional Authority, has helped solicit donations to the orchestra. Yamaha responded by providing 30 new brass and woodwind instruments, and Steinway & Sons will lend a grand piano. Better string instruments are still needed.As a result of Mr. Bremer's inquiries, the Major Orchestra Library Association, an American-based international service organization, has also become involved. It has begun to send more than 350 scores to lay the groundwork for a national repository available to all Iraqi musical organizations. Other institutions are assisting the School of Music and Ballet in Baghdad, where many orchestra members teach. The school was looted and trashed after Mr. Hussein's ouster. Desks were broken, pianos ruined and other instruments damaged or stolen. Orchestra members say the vandals were angry, impoverished individuals who viewed the state-supported school as a government entity. The school was reopened on a limited basis, but when the Kennedy Center concert was announced, more instruments were attacked.

"There is an element in Iraq that is not happy that Iraqis are playing Western music or teaching Western music to their children," said Allegra Klein, a violinist. She founded a group called Musicians for Harmony, in New York, which raised $1,000 for the Iraqi orchestra at a benefit concert.Hers is only one of several such efforts. Operation Harmony, a project conceived by the National Endowment for the Arts, appealed to the classical music community for instruments, musical accessories and cash to help Iraqi music students. It also appealed to the Pentagon about the logistics of airlifting the donated items, however, and that raised a few hackles."You have a government agency related to the military involved in the music scene, which makes it very political," said Wafaa Al-Natheema, an educator and founder of the nonprofit Institute for Near Eastern and African Studies in Cambridge, Mass. Ms. Al-Natheema hopes to arrange future tours for the orchestra and helps edit an unofficial newsletter on its activities. "If the U.S. government really wanted to help," she said, "they could use a nongovernmental agency, a charitable institution like the institute or the U.N."Such extramusical baggage has not dimmed the orchestra's enthusiasm for the Kennedy Center concert. "It's the first dream we get," Majid Alghazali, the principal second violinist, wrote in an e-mail.

Mr. Ezzat, the conductor, who fled Iraq for Sweden in 2002 after being asked to compose a score for a novel written by Saddam Hussein (as he had done once before), returned last fall. "They told me the orchestra has more future hope, and I came back to continue on, to make this hope for us," he said from Baghdad. "In the past, our orchestra was not free. Now we are free. We make our future."Part of the hope involves increasing the orchestra's size, wages and artistic caliber. In contrast, say, to Iraqi playwrights, who typically required approval of their scripts and casts to win funds from the Hussein government, the orchestra mostly suffered from benign neglect.Founded in 1959, it once had a German conductor and an international membership.

During the 1970's and 80's, it had more than 70 musicians and occasionally toured Russia, Algeria, Lebanon and Jordan. Guest artists and teachers regularly visited Baghdad.But its budget diminished over the years. Then as now, most members required a supplementary job, like teaching, driving a taxi or selling coal.In 1994, when Mr. Alghazali joined the orchestra, his salary was about $150 per month. By 2002, musicians were earning $10 to $20 per month. Now Iraq's Ministry of Culture pays them $120 per month.Mr. Alghazali reports that orchestras in Jordan, Syria and Lebanon pay about $500 per month. He believes that the Iraqi orchestra will ultimately need to match that figure to attract and retain the best players. There is talk of starting a musicians' union.

THE history of the Iraqi National Symphony is in some ways a microcosm of life in this war-torn country during the last five decades. It was disbanded in 1966 by a government official who is said to have disliked Western classical music. From 1968 to 1971, when the orchestra was allowed to resume public performance, members rehearsed surreptitiously at the home of a cellist, Munther Jamil Hafidh, who taught many of the players at the School of Music and Ballet. And in 1985, during the eight-year war with Iran, two children of the assistant conductor, Abdul Razzak Ibraheem Mahdi, were killed when his house was hit by an Iranian missile. Recent skirmishes have also taken a toll. Rasheed Concert Hall, one of the orchestra's performing spaces, was bombed during the air campaign in the spring. (The orchestra now plays in a spacious air-conditioned hall at the Palace of Conferences.) The second floor of Mr. Sharaf's house was accidentally shelled by American troops during a firefight. His mother was injured, and he was hit by shrapnel in a finger.Omar Hassan Alshikh, who joined the orchestra's cello section in 1991 and began working for the United Nations last April, was seriously injured in the bombing of the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad in August. He now lives in Amman, Jordan, where he was taken for medical treatment.

The United Nations sanctions imposed in 1990, after Iraq invaded Kuwait, and maintained after the gulf war had predictably adverse effects on musical life. Although the Iraqi orchestra played 140 concerts after Mr. Ezzat became conductor, in 1989, it did so under increasing deprivation. The sanctions made it hard to obtain replacement scores, strings, valves and other essential equipment.In addition, talented performers left Iraq for Jordan or Europe.

The orchestra's present ranks include Kurds, Sunni and Shiite Muslims and Assyrian Christians. They also include three women. In June, the orchestra gave its first concert after the war. About 45 musicians played "My Nation," an anthem predating Mr. Hussein's rule. According to press reports, audience members wept as they sang. Since that event, rebroadcast three times on Iraqi television, the orchestra has emerged as a symbol of courage and perseverance through suffering. Meanwhile, another symbol of hope for greater cultural understanding stands at the School of Music and Ballet. Early media reports after the war lamented the destruction of a keethara: an unusual piano with a dual keyboard, one tuned to Western scales, the other to Eastern quarter-tones. Actually, the keethara is intact, damaged but reparable.

It will be far more difficult to heal the wounds of the past and sort out the political challenges of the present."Before, if you were not near the government and you did not talk badly about the government, you were safe," Mr. Sharaf said. "Now we can talk freely, but we don't know who is the enemy and who likes or doesn't like this music. But we hope and I think all the Iraqi people think that the future is better."

***************

5. A detailed report will be emailed on or by December 30th regarding the visit of our women's delegation to Iraq in November 2003 to hand donations to the Iraqi Symphony Orchestra and the Music & Ballet School in Baghdad.

^^^^^^^^^^^

Note: The detailed report mentioned in point 5 (above) can be accessed at:
http://zennobia.blogspot.com/2005/04/report-from-baghdad.html

Important Correspondence RE INSO

2006-12-13T14:25:00.000-05:00

In a message dated 12/06/2003 8:31:46 PM Eastern Standard Time, Nardo writes:

Dear Wafaa'

You had mentioned the need for a certain number of $10 contributions to keep the newsletter going, but I didn't see any information as to whom to make out the check and an address to where to send it. Also, to whom and to where can I send a check for the INSO for supplies?

Regards,
Nardo Poy

Dear Nardo:

Thank you for your interest in subscribing. Please note that thosewho wrote back wanting to subscribe with $10 were only eleven. So, knowing the number is VERY LOW, the December
e-newsletter will be the last. Regarding donations for the INSO, the Institute of Near Eastern & African Studies (INEAS) used to collect thesedonations to take to Baghdad and it just delivered the donations in November. However, after realizing that the INSO has been getting generous support from around the world and has been using the media to exaggerate its list of needs and hide the truthabout the worldwide support they are getting and that its members allowed themselves to be used by the American government/military turning this musical and cultural project into mere political campaign and propaganda, INEAS withdrew its project to aid the INSO.

Wafaa' Al-Natheema, founder of INEAS, organizer of the women's delegation to go to Baghdad to deliver the donations (between November 12 and 15) and the list moderator of theINSO bimonthly e-newsletter (for over two years), felt unappreciated at all while in Baghdad. Recently, the director of the Orchestra, Hisham Sharaf, had told the NY Times reporter that the INSO e-newsletter is unofficial to discredit over two years of work (of researching, writing, corresponding and editing) done by Wafaa' and other members of the team. In fact the NY Times reporter received two emails from INEAS indicating to her that Wafaa' was not the only writer/editor and that all names of the writing/editing team should be acknowledged if the INSO e-newsletter was mentioned, yet the article indicated that the newsletter is unofficial and that Wafaa' (without mentioning others) edits it, thanks to the INSO's director.

Of course neither Wafaa' nor any of the writing/editingteam had considered these e-newsletters to be official. Thes enewsletters began in October 2001 during the old regime, and had no connection with nor took permission of the old regime or the new appointed council/Ministry of Culture ! It was the fruit of nothing, but music lovers such as Wafaa' and former INSO musicians (plus one musician/composer who is still part of the INSO). So we were astonished by the mean question (if asked by the reporter) and by even more damaging response given by the INSO's director! This is aside from the fact that the article failed to disclose the larger (than Muscians for Harmony's) donation amount that INEAS (and Wafaa') has raised for the orchestra!!

There are more truly needy musicians/artists in Iraq than those affiliated with the INSO if you or your organization would like to donate to their cause. INEAS will not deal with or support the Iraqi Symphony Orchestra anymore. A public announcement will be sent worldwide on the subject matter within a week (from INEAS@aol.com).

Wafaa' and INEAS have lost nearly $2000 campaigning to help the INSO. None of Wafaa's expenses for the trip to Baghdad were funded. The above figure excludes the long distance calls that Wafaa' have encountered since 2001 communicating with INSO musicians or pertaining to calls related to the INSO.

Below is yesterday's NY Times' article mentioning about Wafaa' and the e-newsletter.

Thank you for your interest in helping,

Cordially,
May Roberts
On Behalf of Wafaa' Al-Natheema
----------------------------------------

This Battle of the Bands Is Peaceable

By BARBARA JEPSON
Published: December 7, 2003

Soon after the Arab press reported that the Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra and the National Symphony Orchestra of Washington would play alongside each other at the Kennedy Center, Hisham Sharaf, the director of the Iraqi orchestra, was shot at as he drove down a highway near his home in Baghdad. A bullet penetrated his windshield, but missed him.
"I don't know who or why," Mr. Sharaf said recently from Baghdad. "I think maybe it's because of the concert. On Al Jazeera, they say they are surprised that the orchestra goes to Washington at this time. We don't have political reasons. Maybe the American side thinks about that, but we go to play music, to see the American people and to show we have culture. Some people think we have only desert and camels.

"The concert, a free, hour long event on Tuesday evening, mixes European classics with recent and traditional music by Iraqi composers. Leonard Slatkin, the music director of the National Symphony, shares the podium with Mohammed Amin Ezzat, the conductor of the Iraqi National Symphony."We're trying to find a way to use music to combat what was a tragic circumstance," Mr. Slatkin said from Washington, "no matter what side of the Iraqi argument you come down on." But political overtones have shadowed the venture. It is the first of several initiatives by the State Department to restore cultural exchange between Iraq and the United States after nearly 13 years of United Nations sanctions. Perhaps inevitably, some argue that the Iraqi orchestra is being used. "I'm furious that our government is trying to put a happy face on the extinguishment of the cradle of civilization," said Patrick Dillon, an independent filmmaker who shot in Baghdad before and after the American-led assault and is a vocal critic of the war effort.

Michael Kaiser, the president of the Kennedy Center and a cultural ambassador for the State Department's CultureConnect program, said from Washington that the idea for the invitation was entirely his."It's critical to give visibility not just to the Iraqi National Symphony but to all the arts in Iraq," Mr. Kaiser said. "I also believe the arts can play a role in healing and a role in educating us about Iraq, and the sooner the better in both cases."The Kennedy Center is covering the cost of the National Symphony's appearance and the use of the hall, and the State Department is paying transportation and lodging expenses for the 60-member Iraqi orchestra, Mr. Kaiser said. But in his view, the event has no more political significance than the restoration of the State Department's Fulbright scholarship program in Iraq. To muddy the waters further, two assistants to L. Paul Bremer III, the top American civilian administrator in Iraq, play with the understaffed Iraqi orchestra as substitutes. Asked how he felt about their participation, Mr. Sharaf, the orchestra's director, said: "The problem every time is between the governments, not musicians. We speak the same language do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, si, do."The political connection has proved advantageous for the orchestra. One assistant, who started a corporate donor program for the Coalition Provisional Authority, has helped solicit donations to the orchestra. Yamaha responded by providing 30 new brass and woodwind instruments, and Steinway & Sons will lend a grand piano. Better string instruments are still needed.As a result of Mr. Bremer's inquiries, the Major Orchestra Library Association, an American-based international service organization, has also become involved. It has begun to send more than 350 scores to lay the groundwork for a national repository available to all Iraqi musical organizations.

Other institutions are assisting the School of Music and Ballet in Baghdad, where many orchestra members teach.The school was looted and trashed after Mr. Hussein's ouster. Desks were broken, pianos ruined and other instruments damaged or stolen. Orchestra members say the vandals were angry, impoverished individuals who viewed the state-supported school as a government entity. The school was reopened on a limited basis, but when the Kennedy Center concert was announced, more instruments were attacked. "There is an element in Iraq that is not happy that Iraqis are playing Western music or teaching Western music to their children," said Allegra Klein, a violinist. She founded a group called Musicians for Harmony, in New York, which raised $1,000 for the Iraqi orchestra at a benefit concert. Hers is only one of several such efforts. Operation Harmony, a project conceived by the National Endowment for the Arts, appealed to the classical music community for instruments, musical accessories and cash to help Iraqi music students. It also appealed to the Pentagon about the logistics of airlifting the donated items, however, and that raised a few hackles. "You have a government agency related to the military involved in the music scene, which makes it very political," said Wafaa Al-Natheema, an educator and founder of the nonprofit Institute for Near Eastern and African Studies in Cambridge, Mass. Ms. Al-Natheema hopes to arrange future tours for the orchestra and helps edit an unofficial newsletter on its activities. "If the U.S. government really wanted to help," she said, "they could use a nongovernmental agency, a charitable institution like the institute or the U.N." Such extramusical baggage has not dimmed the orchestra's enthusiasm for the Kennedy Center concert. "It's the first dream we get," Majid Alghazali, the principal second violinist, wrote in an e-mail. Mr. Ezzat, the conductor, who fled Iraq for Sweden in 2002 after being asked to compose a score for a novel written by Saddam Hussein (as he had done once before), returned last fall. "They told me the orchestra has more future hope, and I came back to continue on, to make this hope for us," he said from Baghdad. "In the past, our orchestra was not free. Now we are free. We make our future."Part of the hope involves increasing the orchestra's size, wages and artistic caliber. In contrast, say, to Iraqi playwrights, who typically required approval of their scripts and casts to win funds from the Hussein government, the orchestra mostly suffered from benign neglect. Founded in 1959, it once had a German conductor and an international membership. During the 1970's and 80's, it had more than 70 musicians and occasionally toured Russia, Algeria, Lebanon and Jordan. Guest artists and teachers regularly visited Baghdad.But its budget diminished over the years. Then as now, most members required a supplementary job, like teaching, driving a taxi or selling coal.In 1994, when Mr. Alghazali joined the orchestra, his salary was about $150 per month. By 2002, musicians were earning $10 to $20 per month. Now Iraq's Ministry of Culture pays them $120 per month. Mr. Alghazali reports that orchestras in Jordan, Syria and Lebanon pay about $500 per month. He believes that the Iraqi orchestra will ultimately need to match that figure to attract and retain the best players. There is talk of starting a musicians' union.

THE history of the Iraqi National Symphony is in some ways a microcosm of life in this war-torn country during the last five decades. It was disbanded in 1966 by a government official who is said to have disliked Western classical music. From 1968 to 1971, when the orchestra was allowed to resume public performance, members rehearsed surreptitiously at the home of a cellist, Munther Jamil Hafidh, who taught many of the players at the School of Music and Ballet. And in 1985, during the eight-year war with Iran, two children of the assistant conductor, Abdul Razzak Ibraheem Mahdi, were killed when his house was hit by an Iranian missile.Recent skirmishes have also taken a toll. Rasheed Concert Hall, one of the orchestra's performing spaces, was bombed during the air campaign in the spring. (The orchestra now plays in a spacious air-conditioned hall at the Palace of Conferences.) The second floor of Mr. Sharaf's house was accidentally shelled by American troops during a firefight. His mother was injured, and he was hit by shrapnel in a finger. Omar Hassan Alshikh, who joined the orchestra's cello section in 1991 and began working for the United Nations last April, was seriously injured in the bombing of the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad in August. He now lives in Amman, Jordan, where he was taken for medical treatment. The United Nations sanctions imposed in 1990, after Iraq invaded Kuwait, and maintained after the gulf war had predictably adverse effects on musical life. Although the Iraqi orchestra played 140 concerts after Mr. Ezzat became conductor, in 1989, it did so under increasing deprivation. The sanctions made it hard to obtain replacement scores, strings, valves and other essential equipment.In addition, talented performers left Iraq for Jordan or Europe.

The orchestra's present ranks include Kurds, Sunni and Shiite Muslims and Assyrian Christians. They also include three women.In June, the orchestra gave its first concert after the war. About 45 musicians played "My Nation," an anthem predating Mr. Hussein's rule. According to press reports, audience members wept as they sang. Since that event, rebroadcast three times on Iraqi television, the orchestra has emerged as a symbol of courage and perseverance through suffering.Meanwhile, another symbol of hope for greater cultural understanding stands at the School of Music and Ballet. Early media reports after the war lamented the destruction of a keethara: an unusual piano with a dual keyboard, one tuned to Western scales, the other to Eastern quarter-tones. Actually, the keethara is intact, damaged but reparable. It will be far more difficult to heal the wounds of the past and sort out the political challenges of the present."Before, if you were not near the government and you did not talk badly about the government, you were safe," Mr. Sharaf said. "Now we can talk freely, but we don't know who is the enemy and who likes or doesn't like this music. But we hope and I think all the Iraqi people think that the future is better."

Barbara Jepson writes regularly about music for The Wall Street Journal.

INSO E-Newsletter: Episode 17

2006-12-13T14:23:00.000-05:00

Bimonthly Newsletter

Of the

IRAQI National Symphony Orchestra (INSO)

Episode 17 October 2003

The 2nd Anniversay

Distributed by Al-Wafaa Website: http://www.INEAS.org/al-wafaanews

(*_*) (*_*) (*_*) (*_*) (*_*)

"Music is everything that war isn't"

Nobar Pashtikian, INSO, Baghdad

<><><><><><><><><><><><>

Inside This Issue:

1. Announcements

2. News & Reports

3. Reestablishing The INSO by Laman Al-Bakri

4. INSO's "Founders & Early Initiators" Part II

<><>>><><>(*_*)<><><><<>>

1. Announcements:

* The Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra (INSO) will be performing at the Kennedy Center on December 9th at 6 PM. The FREE concert has been sponsored by the Kennedy Center and the State Department. No information is yet available regarding advanced reservations. The Kennedy Center will post information about the event on their website after November 15th.

* Unless we receive a yearly subscription of $10 from at least one hundred subscribers, this bimonthly e-newsletter will be discontinued in 2004. The final episode will be sent on or by December 24. This bimonthly newsletter has been in existence since September 2001. The first episode was emailed in October 2001. It has been maintained solely by Wafaa' Al-Natheema and has been costing her a tremendous amount of time, energy and money (mainly in the form of long distance calls to members of the writing/editing team). This yearly subscription will help cover the cost incurred by members of the writing/editing team. Thousands of hours of researching, writing, editing and email corresponding have been spent since September 2001. For those who wish to send the yearly subscription, you will be provided with the mailing address when we receive email requests from at least one hundred individuals by November 15. Otherwise, this e-newsletter will be discontinued.

(*_*)_________________(*_*)

2. News & Reports

* In early September, the Institute of Near Eastern & African Studies (INEAS) in Cambridge, Massachusetts, received a small shipment of strings for violin, viola and cello from two companies in Australia; The Violineri, Inc. and Alex W. Grant Violins.

* The September issue (2003) of Strad Magazine, published in the UK, featured a paragraph on the Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra (INSO) mentioning the Orchestra's establishment, recent performance and needs providing INEAS's email address. As a result of this paragraph, the Australian companies contacted INEAS and donated strings (see news above)

* From a September-8th report (sent via email), Hisham Sharaf,the director of the INSO reported that Omar Abdul Razzak, a cello player with the INSO and the Baghdad Music Group, was injured in the August bombing of the UN headquarters in Baghdad. Omar was treated in Amman, Jordan. In a recent email from Nahla Jajjo, former INSO violinist (in Paris), she reported that Omar is well and currently living in Amman.

* In the early part of September, Hisham Sharaf met with representatives from UNESCO and UNICEF as well as withthe Swiss Ambassador in Baghdad to identify the list of needsfor both the INSO and the Music & Ballet School. No information has been provided since then as to whether donations have been actually received by the INSO from the above mentioned entities.

* In late October, donations, in the form of money as well as new and old strings for various instruments, were received by INEAS. Howard Hersch mailed the package from Nevada City, CA. Hersch and Anna Gold sent two checks. Lena Andaya of Sacramento, Anna Gold, Nancy Hill and Judy Bromley of Nevada City as well as Members of the Auburn Symphony in Auburn, CA, all contributed strings.

* The Women's delegation (which has been organized by INEAS) will be arriving in Iraq in the end of November. Details about the trip's duration, reports on the meeting with musicians of the INSO in Baghdad and about the donations given to members of the Orchestra will all be included in the December episode of this bimonthly newsletter. Donations are still being collected by INEAS and should be received on or by November 3rd. If unable to send musical spare parts or checks by that date and still wish to make a donation, Credit Card donations are accepted over the phone. Contact information for the Institute of Near Eastern & African Studies (INEAS) is as follows:

P.O. Box 425125 Cambridge, MA 02142 USA

Email: INEAS@aol.com or INEAS_1994@yahoo.com

* Laman Al-Bakri (in London) and Mohammed Siddiq (in Amman) recently joined this newsletter's writing/editing team. It was due to Laman's efforts and persistence that the Iraqi Symphony Orchestra was reestablished in 1971. Details on her background appear under Founders and Early Initiators (Part II) below. She has written an article for this episode detailing her personal account by mentioning her work in reestablishing the Orchestra. The team also welcomes Mohammed Siddiq who currently lives in Jordan. He began studying piano at the age of six, then continued his studies at The Music and Ballet School in Baghdad where he obtained his diploma in Piano. On scholarship, Siddiq attended the Gnesins State Academy of Moscow and obtained his Masters Degree. In 1991, he became the conductor of the INSO. Since 1994, he has been the conductor of the National Music Conservatory of Noor al Hussein Foundation in Jordan. His compositions won the First Composition Prize at Baghdad's 2nd Competition, the Grand Prize in the 6th Arab Songs Competition in Cairo-Egypt, and the First Prize at the 2nd Jordanian Song Competition in 2002.

////////////////

3. Re-establishing The INSO -- A Personal Account

By Laman Al-Bakri

The Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra (INSO) has been established in the 1950s. As a matter of fact, the Orchestra's musicians have been active in rehearsals and concerts more than a decade earlier, until it ceased its activities in 1966. As a music lover with a diploma from the Institute of Fine Arts in piano, I realized that the time was ripe for reestablishing the INSO knowing I was working at the Ministry of Information. So I had along talk with the Minister, Shafiq al-Kamaly in 1969/70. After presenting him with a detailed report, he encouraged me to go ahead with the project.At that time, I was the coordinator between the foreign cultural institutes in Baghdad (i.e. the German Goethe Institute) and the Ministry of Culture.

The Goethe Institute was the most active educational entity in music at that time. So I approached its representative for an advice, and simultaneously I contacted some of the members of the Orchestra for advice as well.We had to assign a conductor first, but whom? Also our budget needed extensive planning. We had to choose a place for rehearsals and a proper hall for concerts. After a while, the Goethe Institute came up with a proposal to help choose a conductor and to assist in paying him salary from the budget assigned to them for cultural exchange. I submitted the name and the proposal to the Minister, Al-Kamaly, who instructed me to get the approval of the Ministry of Finance and promised to allocate money for the members of the Orchestra as a part-time job. Thanks to the Minister of Finance, Mr. Amin Abdul Karim, who was a music lover as well, for his efforts in obtain money and the approval of the contract from the Revolutionary Council, which was necessary to Assign Mr. Mommer as the German conductor for the Orchestra.

Mr. Mommer arrived in Baghdad in 1971, and immediately began to form the members of the Orchestra. Because we didn't have any professionals at that time, he hired some of the musicians who were working at the Institute of Fine Arts and chose German musicians as well. Then I started seeking places for rehearsals. Because I was responsible for managing the Ballet School, which later became known as the Music and Ballet School, I was able to cultivate a large room for rehearsals of both the students and the Orchestra members. After extensive efforts, we were able to utilize the Khuld Hall and began in 1971 to give concerts on a monthly basis. Although I left the Ministry, and therefore, my involvement with the INSO in 1973, I was proud to be not just the main reason for the re-establishment of the INSO, but for allowing the INSO move ahead with many achievements including its tours in Russia in 1976 and Lebanon in the early 1980s.

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Former Minister
Shafiq Al-Kamaly (1930-1984)

Lived and studied in Iraq. He also studied literature in Egypt. Al-Kamaly became the Minister of Youth and Information in the 1970s and the head of the Union of Arab Writers. He is a published poet. One of his translated (from Arabic) poems is entitled,"Coda." It reads:

They say in my village

I was born

With one hand placed

Over my heart

The men said

This child will live

With the heart of a prophet

And the women of the tribe"Rejoice!" they said

Hailing the future loverBut the old men

Were holding back their tears

And keeping calm.

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4. "Founders & Early Initiators" [Part II]

In this part, we acknowledge Sami Al-Sheikh Qassim, Fu'ad Mishu, Munir Allahwerdi and Petros Hanna Petros from the earliest decade of rehearsals and performances during the 1940s. We also acknowledge Laman Al-Bakri for her efforts in reestablishing the INSO in 1971.

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Fu'ad Mishu (b. 1922 in Baghdad - )

Joined The Music Institute (later the Fine Arts Institute) in 1937 where he studied Clarinet under Hanna Petros, Oud under Muhiddin Heidar, and Violin under Sandu Albu. He studied andworked in engineering simultaneously. Fu'ad played Clarinet with the Wind Instrument Band of the Institute. As a violin player, he joined the first Orchestra's performance, organized within the FAI at the Iraqi Royal Medical College in early 1940s. When the Orchestra was reorganized in 1948-49, Fu'ad was the 2nd violin leader. Fu'ad and his brothers Luis (on Cello) and Nathum (on Clarinet) were among the members of the Orchestra since its reformation in 1948-49. He moved to the USA three decades ago where he continued performing, lecturing and holding musical sessions. He currently lives in Knoxville, TN.

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Munir Allahwerdi (b.1926 in Basra - )

Joined the Fine Arts Institute in Baghdad in October 1942. He Performed in many chamber music and orchestralconcerts in Iraq as well as on radio and TV from 1945 mainlyas solo clarinetist and sometimes as contrabassist. Created thefirst clarinet class and taught the instrument at the Fine ArtsInstitute. Graduated as a civil engineer from the Engineering College and as clarinetist from the Fine Arts Institute in Baghdad 1948. Earned Master's of Science from the State University ofIowa. Munir worked as the head of the Arab States unit at the UNFinancing System for Science and Technology for Development1980-1985. In 1985, Munir retired in Vienna where he formed agroup of chamber music players from various well-knownorchestras and performed in Vienna and in Finland.

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Laman Al-Bakri (b.1929 in Baghdad-- )

A Lawyer and an Art Critic. In 1954, she earned a BA inLaw (Baghdad University) and a Diploma in Musicfocusing on Piano at the Institute of Fine Arts in Baghdad.In the 1970s, she became Director of Culture at theMinistry of Culture and Guidance where she managed to reestablishing the INSO and the School for Ballet, then combined it with the School for Music to become the School for Music and Ballet. She currently lives in London.

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Petros Hanna Petros (b.1930 in Baghdad -1998)

A Graduate of the Fine Arts Institute (FAI), where he studied Trumpet under Hanna Petros, and Violin, under Jamil Saeed. He held a Business Administration Degree. In addition to his principle profession as an accountant then an entrepreneur, he played an important role in the music education as a teacher at the FAI. He played with almost every musical group organized within the FAI, wind instrument bands, chamber music groups and the Symphony Orchestra. He also played French Horn and Percussion. Petros along with his two brothers, Sabah and Bassim, and their father, Hanna Petros, were among the members of the Orchestra since its reformation in 1948-49. In 1959, Petros held the post of leader of the Brass Section. He moved to the UK in 1977 and lived there until he passed away in 1998.

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Sami Qassim (b. in Baghdad, d. in the USA, years unavailable)

Dr. Sami Abdul Razzaq Al Shaikh Qassim who died in the USA as Dr. Sami Kassim was among the earliest founders of the INSO. Qassim studied violin at the Fine Arts Institute under the tutoring of Sandu Albu for the years 1941-1946 while attending the Royal Medical College in Baghdad. He organized several concerts at the college. Sami can be credited for the establishment of the first Iraqi string quartet during the early 1940s. Members of the quartet were Sami Qassim as first violinist, Nouri Mustafa Behjet and Mahmoud Al Awqati alternating as second violinists, Mustafa Ibrahim Edhem as viola player and Hagop Kouyoumdjian as cellist. The quartet performed for the Baghdad (short wave) Radio service. Sami formed string quartets wherever he resided and played in local community orchestras as a first violinist and concert master. He passed away while in the USA due to cancer possibly in 1992.

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The INSO Writing/Editing Team:

Laman Al-Bakri, Lawyer, Art Critic [England]

Munir Allahwerdi, Clarinet Player, Engineer (INSO) [Austria]

Wafaa' Al-Natheema, List Moderator & Concert Tour Organizer [USA]

Agnes Bashir, Pianist, Composer (INSO) [Jordan]

Munther J. Hafeth, Composer, Musician (INSO) [IRAQ]

Nahla Jajo, Violinist, Architect (INSO) [France]

Beatrice Ohanessian, Composer, Pianist (INSO) [USA]

Bassim H. Petros, Cellist, Music Critic (INSO) [New Zealand]

Zaid E. Shawket, Violinist, Mathematician (INSO) [France]

Mohammed O. Siddiq, Conductor, Composer (INSO) [Jordan]

INSO E-Newsletter: Episode 16

2006-12-13T14:22:00.000-05:00

Bimonthly Newsletter

Of the

IRAQI National Symphony Orchestra (INSO)

Episode 16 August 2003

The 2nd Anniversay

Distributed by Al-Wafaa News Website: http://www.INEAS.org/al-wafaanews

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Dear Subscribers:

This INSO bimonthly newsletter will be celebrating its SECOND anniversary in September. We would like to thank you for your commentary and encouragement and for making it an interesting task.I would like to acknowledge the great efforts of thewriting/editing team, which have been instrumentalin the success of this e-newsletter. Our prayers go to one of the w/e team's members in IRAQ, Munther J.Hafeth, to all musicians of the INSO and to the entirecourageous and patient people of IRAQ.

We would like to know from those of you who live in the USA, Canada and Europe whether you will be willing (Starting in September) to contribute yearly subscription of $10. This will help us pay for the cost of placing all INSO e-newsletters on our website and cover some of the cost for publishing a book on the history of the INSO. Please note that not participating in the yearly dues will not affect your subscription status. But it will be greatly appreciated.Non-subscribers will not receive anymore emails. Ifinterested, please see subscription's simple instructionsbelow.
I wish you a pleasant and a relaxing fall.

Cordially,
Wafaa' Al-Natheema

<The only message that we were able to deliver in our performances was one of survival. That we were able to stay alive through all those years.>

Imad Youssef, INSO violinist living in IRAQ

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Inside This Issue:

1. News & Reports
2. History of The INSO by Wafaa' Al-Natheema
3. INSO's "Founders & Early Initiators"

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1. News & Reports:

* Thanks to the efforts of Lewis Brinin, a violinist with theFlorida Orchestra, PIRASTRO in Germany and THOMASTICK in Austria have contributed a generous amount of strings to the INSO. They were received by the Institute of Near Eastern & African Studies (INEAS) in Cambridge, MA., which is collecting donations to the INSO and Music & Ballet School inBaghdad. INEAS is still welcoming/receiving donations from various organizations/benefits, working to form a women delegation to take the donation to IRAQ in the fall and organizing another benefit to raise more funds. The BBC will cover the women delegation should they arrive in Baghdad by mid of October and coincide with an INSO performance. More details on donations and the trip to IRAQ will be included in the October and/or December episodes.

* Munther J. Hafeth and Hisham Sharaf of the INSO will be part of the Arabic Music Symposium in Morocco from October 1st to October 10th. Both currently live in Baghdad.

* The Institute of Near Eastern & African Studies receiveda fax on July 9th from Music in the Middle East, an international music council, UNESCO, investigating thepossibilities of inviting the Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra(INSO) to Amsterdam, Holland. After debating the dateswhether in November or February, Neil Van Der Linden, ofMusic in the Middle East, decided to work on inviting the INSO in February.

* Beatrice Ohanessian, former INSO pianist and composer, has been recently interviewed on German radio stations by producer/host George Hersch, thanks to Lewis Brinin, a violinist with the Florida Orchestra. These stations were Deutschland Radio Berlin (airs nationwide), WDR Dortmund/Cologne (airs all over Western Germany), and SWR Baden-Baden (airs all over Southwestern Germany).

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2. History of the INSO
By Wafaa' Al-Natheema

In documenting the history of the INSO, the decade of the1940s seems to be the period during which the admiration of western classical music inspired its birth. Such admirationwas evident in the live performances that took place featuring symphonies, concertos and others from the Baroque, Classic and Romantic periods. However the INSO was not the first musical entity in Iraq. Several orchestras and conservatories were founded before the spark of activities of the INSO (see this episode's Founders & Early Initiators of the INSO). One such notable institution was The Music Institute, which was established in 1936. Five years later, The Music Institute was renamed The Institute of Fine Arts whereby a Chamber Orchestra was formulated.

Hanna Petros conducted this Orchestra's early performance at the Royal College of Medicine. In an earlier article I wrote for this INSO e-newsletter (September 2002), documenting from a couple of sources that in 1948, The Baghdad Philharmonic Society (BPS) was founded in affiliation with the Institute of Fine Arts. But Munir Allahwerdi, former INSO clarinetist, wrote in an email dated August 22 quoting the Constitution of the BPS as follows:

"Section 1, Article 1; The Society was formed by members of the Institute of Fine Arts in Baghdad in 1950...." This led me to believe that perhaps 1948 was the unofficial or the non-documented year of the Society's establishment!The BPS, then, formed the Baghdad Symphony Orchestra, which was composed of the Institute's students and teachers aswell as musicians from the Army Band. Sandu Albu, Romanian violin professor, supervised the Baghdad Symphony Orchestra, which gave performances in Baghdad at the hall of the Institute of Fine Arts and at the King Faisal Hall as well as in Kirkuk (North of Iraq). In 1959, the Orchestra became officially known as the Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra (INSO), within the Ministry of Guidance. Before 1959, all musicians used to perform on volunteer basis. This is why many sources indicate that the establishment of the INSO was actually in that year. However, majority of this Orchestra's musicians used to perform voluntarily under a different name, so their activities and contributions should be part of the INSO's history.

Due to Iraq's instability during the 1960s, the Orchestra was shut down a couple of times. In 1971, by special efforts of Ms. Lamaan Al-Bekri (of the Ministry of Information) and a joint preparatory committee (M. Hafeth, I. Ad.ham, B. Petros and the late A. Ali), the INSO resumed its activities under the baton of Hans G. Mommer (German Conductor) and began to perform inside and outside of Iraq. The Orchestra reached its glory in the 1970s and early 1980s during which they toured in Lebanon and Russia and numbered as many as fifty-five musicians. Since its early stage in the 1940s, the INSO has had twenty-two (Iraqi and foreign) conductors. The Orchestra did not just perform classical works by European composers, but had also presented works composed by Iraqi, Middle Eastern and foreign musicians.

The list of Iraqi composers includes (but not limited to) Hanna Petros, Farid Allahwerdi, Munther J. Hafeth, Adbul Razzak Al-Azzawi, Beatrice Ohanessian, Munir Bashir, Khalil Ismael, Abdul Amir As-Sarraf, Agnes Bashir, Hussein Qaddouri, Mohammed Amin Izzet, Abdallah Jamal, Zaid Othman and others. Bassim H. Petros, former INSO cellist, quotes Sandu Albu (Conductor, Violinist) saying, "in view of my experience here in Iraq, whenever we think of forming an orchestra, it would - for sure - be made of family member players." The family atmosphere within the Orchestra was evident since the 1940s and can be illustrated in the list below:

- Hanna Petros (Tympani and Bassoon) and sons; Petros Hanna Petros (Trumpet, Corn, Percussions), Sabah Hanna Petros (Clarinet), Bassim Hanna Petros (Cello and Contrabass).

- Fuad Mishu (Clarinet, then Violin), Lewis Mishu (Cello), Nadhim Mishu (Clarinet),

- Munir Allahwerdi (Clarinet, Contrabass) and brother Farid Allahwerdi (Violin, Viola),

- Aram Tajirian (Violin), Onik Tajirian (Clarinet).

The INSO has toured in Russia, Azerbaijan, Lebanon and Jordan. The last tour in Jordan was during the embargo in 1992. The INSO's last and most successful performance before this year's bombing on March 19th was on Christmas Day, 2002. An article (dated December 26) about this concert was featured in the NY Times. Munther J. Hafeth, still viola player of the INSO in Baghdad, once was quoted saying, "my target is to bring the INSO over to the 21st Century." Although the Orchestra made it through the 21st Century, it was not a blossoming entrance due to the embargo and wars and, so it stayed fairly unknown! The hope is to see it perform outside of Iraq and allow it to tell the story of the predicament as well as people's feelings, survival and accomplishments through music. Since I attended a live performance by the INSO in February 1999 in Baghdad, the idea of having the INSO tour the USA has been growing limbs. Of course the INSO is among several ideas that are causing limbs to grow in me, not to mention that the more the wars, bombs and calamity, the more the limbs due to survival and adamancy! I feel like a haunted OCTOPUS!

Sources:
* Documents by the Ministry of Information
* Constitution of the Baghdad Philharmonic Society
* Munir Allahwerdi
* Bassim H. Petros

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3. "Founders & Early Initiators" [Part I]

This is part 1 of the list of Founders & Early Initiators. The alphabetic list includes (but not limited to) Farid Allahwerdi, Munir Allahwerdi, Aram Baboukhian, Hamdi S. Kaddouri, Hagob Keyomjian, Fuad Mishu, Hanna Petros, Petros H. Petros, Sami S. Qassim, Fuad Ridha and Aram Tajirian.

Some of the later initiators were Munther J. Hafeth, Bassim H. Petros and others. In this part, we acknowledge Hanna Petros, Farid Allahwerdiand Munther J. Hafeth.

1. Hanna Petros (1896-1958)
Composer, music educator and the founder of music educationin IRAQ, which included (but not limited to) the Iraqi Army MusicDepartment (1923), the Baghdad Music Conservatory (1936)and the Iraqi Police Music Band (1941).His "Rondo Oriental" was composed in 1937 for piano soloand was presented by the Romanian pianist and pianoinstructor, Julian Hertz, at the conservatory in Baghdad,as well as in Paris, Geneva and London during the 1940s.In the year 1976, the Orchestra's Russian conductor Youri Alieve converted the piece (Rondo Oriental) for string orchestra. It was performed by the INSO in Baghdad, Beruit, Moscow and Amman.Hanna's works included national songs, marshes for WindBand and works for solo violin and piano.

2. Farid Allahwerdi (b. 1924 in Basra- )
A composer of modern music and a member of the International Federation of Composers. He studiedcomposition in Paris, Moscow and New York.His composition "Al-Mansooriyya" symphonic poemaired on Moscow radio in 1958.In 1950, Allahwerdi earned a Diploma in Music, violin, from the Institute of Fine Arts in Baghdad. Then completed a Master's degree in Music Composition from The Hunter College in NY. For over a decade, he taught musical education, theory and instruments, mainly violin and viola, at the Yarmouk University in Irbid, Jordan.Allahwerdi currently lives and composes in Dublin, Ireland.

3. Munther J. Hafeth (b. 1931 in Baghdad - )
A composer and viola player of the INSO since 1950. Mr. Hafeth joined the Institute of Fine Arts in 1949 and graduated in 1957.His studies in England included interior decoration, viola and composition.One of his earliest compositions, "Dijla River Banks," based on the theme of "Ala Shawati Dijla Mor" song, written for String Quartet. This work was later revised for a string Orchestra by the Hungarian violin instructor & conductor George Man and performed by the INSOin Baghdad and was recorded by Baghdad radio stationin 1974. Other compositions were performed by theINSO during the 1970s and 80s.Hafeth currently lives in Baghdad, IRAQ and continues toperform with the INSO.

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"THERE IS NO ART WITHOUT CRITICISM"

Munther J. Hafeth

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The INSO Writing/Editing Team:

Munir Allahwerdi, Clarinet Player, Engineer (INSO) [Austria]
Wafaa' Al-Natheema, List Moderator & Concert Tour Organizer [USA]
Agnes Bashir, Pianist, Composer (INSO) [Jordan]
Munther J. Hafeth, Composer, Musician (INSO) [IRAQ]
Nahla Jajo, Violinist, Architect (INSO) [France]
Beatrice Ohanessian, Composer, Pianist (INSO) [USA]
Bassim H. Petros, Cellist, Music Critic (INSO) [New Zealand]
Zaid Esmat Shawket, Violinist, Mathematician (INSO) [France]

INSO E-Newsletter: Episode 15

2006-12-13T14:02:00.000-05:00

Bi-Monthly Newsletter

Of the

IRAQI National Symphony Orchestra (INSO)

Episode 15 June 2003

Distributed by Al-Wafaa NewsWebsite: http://www.INEAS.org/al-wafaanews

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In This Episode:

1. News

2. INSO Report by Zaid Esmat Shawkat

3. Music Schools and Musicians of Baghdad -- A Personal Account by Agnes Bashir

4. Jawad Saleem Part II: A Personal Accountby Munir Allahwerdi

5. In Memory of Daoud Al-Qaisy by Bassim Petros

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1. NEWS:

* The IRAQI National Symphony Orchestra (INSO) gave a successfulperformance in Baghdad on June 12 at the French Cultural Center. Another concert was performed on June 27th, which was coveredon CNN. More details about this performance are provided in a report by Zaid Esmat Shawkat and included in this episode (below)

* We are pleased to welcome composer and pianist Agnes Bashir, and former violinist and (INSO's) previous concert master, Zaid EsmatShawkat, to the writing/editing team of this bimonthly e-newsletter. Agnes Bashir, I.O.M., aside from her long and important involvement at the Music and Ballet School in Baghdad, has accompanied the INSO on the piano and has composed numerous pieces for theOrchestra to perform. She currently resides in Jordan. Her "April Festivities" composition was the talk of people who attended the Cambridge benefit on Friday, June 27th. More details on this event appear below. Zaid Esmat Shawkat is a graduate of the school of Music and Ballet in Baghdad in 1982. He has been performing with the INSO on the violin since 1983. Shawkat left IRAQ to France early this year to pursue his Ph.D. in mathematics.

* On June 14 (2003), Nahla Jajo, one of the INSO's former violinists who currently resides in France, and pianist Abbas Ali ABOOD performed a concert organized by the Board of Archaeological Museums of Lyons. The program included a solo piano recital and piano and violin duet recital of Oriental music. The Archaeological Museum of Lyons used to work with the Baghdad Museum (2000-2003)

* The Institute of Near Eastern & African Studies (INEAS) and Music For A Cause cosponsored a Jazz concert featuring Bob Sinicrope and Ben Stepner in a benefit for the IRAQI National Symphony Orchestra (INSO) on Friday, June 27th. Over seventy people attended the event, which was wellorganized and very successful thanks to Judy Gerratt ofMusic For A Cause, a violinist from the Hayden and Handel Society. The event was publicized in Phoenix and theBoston Globe. An article about the event, Wafaa' Al-Natheema and the INSO appeared in both Cambridge Chronicle and the Newton Tab on Wednesday, June 25. At the conclusion of the Jazz evening, Agnes Bashir's composition "April Festivities" (which was performed by the INSO in the early 1980s) was listened to by the audience from a cassette tape. It was admired by many in the audience and some wished they could hear it performed live! Both Judy Garrett and Wafaa'Al-Natheema plan to organize another major event with famous musicians to raise more funds and collect moremusical instruments and parts. Such an event may includeformer INSO musicians living abroad.

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2. The INSO in Baghdad

Reported by Zaid Esmat Shawkat from Paris

The INSO has been preparing for its first after-war major concert. The Orchestra is back to regular rehearsals by its members whoare graduate of the Academy of Music, Institute of Fine Arts and the Music and Ballet School. They performed in the "Palace of Conferences Hall" on the 27th of this month. The program included:

1- W.A.MOZART (1756-1791), Symphony (no.40 KV 550)

2- G.BIZET (1838-1875), extracts from "CARMEN"

3- H.G.MOMER (Year unavailable), "On the Palm Trees" (from the Iraqi Folklore)

4- A.R. Al-AZZAWI (1942-), "Voices of the Wilderness".

Conductor: A.R. AL-AZZAWI.

Additionally, the Orchestra had contacted the "Saraievo Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra" for a joint work in the middle of September. Communications are taking place with famous conductor, Zubin Mehta to lead this joint musical venture, said Hisham Sharaf, the INSO director. Sharaf also indicated that somemusicians, who left the country before the war and due to theUN/US sanctions, are ready to get back to join the Orchestra. One example is Mohammed O. Siddiq, the conductor of the Royal National Orchestra of Jordan.

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3. Music Schools and Musicians of Baghdad --A Personal Account

by Agnes Bashir

I would like to remember my arrival in Baghdad in 1968 and myinvolvement with the musical life and activities which existed atthat time. I had just earned my Master's Degree in "Analyses of Tone Poems by Richard Strauss" Four of us who studiedin Moscow: Fuad Al-Mashta (flute), Husam Yakub (flute), Fikri Bashir (violinist, my husband) and myself were young, enthusiastic and eager to create new projects in Baghdad. We started a piano quartet: Flute, violin, cello and piano. For the Cello part, we invited Hussein Qadduri. Later, this quartet became part of the INSO. During this part of the late 1960s, the INSO was inactive. So the reestablishing of the Orchestra began by initiative of Munther Jamil Hafeth, Bassim Petros, Assad Mohammad Ali and others. Rehearsals were taking place at Munther's house, which had a very big hall. The enthusiasm and ingenuity of many musicians gave birth to many cultural events in this historical city. I was very lucky to be part of this. In 1968, the Musical School was founded by Aziz Ali as a publicschool. Many of us became involved in it as well as three Russian experts. After a while the school became a very important part of the INSO: Many of its graduates became INSO members and the best ones were honored to perform as soloists in some of its concerts. Lately I was involved with the INSO as a composer when I started to write music combining western and eastern traditions.

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4. Jawad Saleem Part II -- A Personal Account

by Munir Allahwerdi

I have been strongly urged by friends to write about the people I knew and about what it was like in Baghdad during the 1940s and 1950s, a period in which the arts and literature as well as the music were in a state of flux trying to break out from their centuries-dormant state looking for new directions in the larger world; be it France, Germany, Russia or England.About the people I knew, perhaps the dearest to me was Jawad Saleem. Decades elapsed without my writing and publishing a word about him. I have no excuse except that I considered myself not eligible to contribute about his memory. I am neither a writer nor a painter. But Nizar Saleem, Jawad's brother, wouldn't accept my reasoning and insisted on my participation in describing that period and Jawad's role in it.

Nizar made such remarks when we met in an Iraqi Embassy reception in Helsinki during the late 1970s/early 1980s. I remember him saying, "if you want to be fair to Jawad's memory, you have to write whatever you can about your relation with him. Munir, you owe it to him." I promised Nizar to fulfill his wish. But to my profound sorrow he did not live long to see me accomplish that promise. During the last two decades of Jawad's life (the forties and fifties), other great artists appear on the horizon, some within his immediate family such as his brother Nizar, his sister Nazeeha, and his wife Lorna as well as others like Faiq Hassan, Hafith Ed-Duroubi, Shakir Hassan and Khalid Er-Rahhal.

Characterizing the same period, there were parallel movements in literature, the theater and music which were going on with vigor. In the field of music, a group of "crazy" enthusiasts (including myself) none born into a musical family (except the sons of Hanna Petros), and who began learning music, fell in love with classical music, studied with or without proper guidance from available teachers and practiced against protestations of their families and neighbors with nothing standing in their way, suddenly appeared in musical Baghdad performing chamber music and orchestral concerts.They began to perform in Baghdad Hayden's, Mozart's, Beethoven's and Schubert's Trios, Quartets, Quintets and Symphonies before having ever seen any similar live performances in their life. Some of those instrumentalists such as Vartan Manoukian, Haik Balaian and Beatrice Ohannesian, after a period of studies abroad, even performed in world capitals. In appreciation of the remarkable work done by the young musicians who helped in the establishment of the Baghdad Symphony Orchestra and in bringing classical music to the Iraqi audience, Jawad Saleem drew pencil sketches of those of us who were available at the time including Sami Qassim, Fuad Ridha and myself to name a few. Free Thinking and tradition challenge were what united me with Saleem. This union was embodied in our love for classical music and in performing it on our instruments; the clarinet and the guitar.

Jawad never compromised traditional/national art by his devotion to the universal expression. In his book, Shakir Hassan Al-Saeed devoted a good deal of thinking to this particular aspect of Jawad's works. He explained Jawad's universality as follows: (I am translating a paragraph from his book in Arabic) QUOTE:

"Jawad Saleem, as the rest of his generation of the 1950s suffered from the psychological and economic burden of War World II and its aftermath, was driven by the sincere desire to escape imperialism and reactionary mentality, dreamt of the social well-being and the international cultural awareness.Here, the "Other" becomes his preferred topic represented by the human being. His conviction in the importance of the human being lead him to take a special interest in humanity and thus the importance of observing it from all possible angles. Saleem's indulgence in European and World arts and in their non-visual arts prepared him to pose the question: How would he go about taking care of the humanitarian aspects of his art in both the international and national sense simultaneously? Then how to incorporate inputs from all resources into his relation with his environment? " End of Quote

By stating "his environment," Shakir Hassan was referring to the present as well as to the periods of Sumer, Babylon, Assyria and the Arab/Islamic eras and their artistic and cultural heritage. Saleem showed deep interest in local folklore and tremendously loved symphonic classical music. He preferred Mozart over Beethoven.As for the Hurriya (or freedom) Monument, Jawad explained to me the enormity of the task of accepting the proposal of General Abdul Kareem Qassim. He did not want his art to be tied to politics. We had a brief discussion during which I reminded him of the example of Verdi's composing of the opera Aida, which despite its political circumstances remained a great work in the Italian and human heritage. But he explained to me how much he admired Qassim and his sincerity toward the people of Iraq and how it would be difficult for him to decline Qassim's request to compose and implement the project. Saleem gave me a photo print of a composition in black mud relief which, as I believed, it would include the main parts of the composition still fermenting in his mind, and signed "Jawad Saleem, Baghdad," six and a half years before the July 1958 revolution. In this composition, the central figure is the same man who appears in the Hurriyya monument dressed as a soldier was presented as an almost naked poor farmer struggling in the agricultural field without iron bars, where his posture as a hard working farmer, is the same one who is dressed as soldier freeing his country from poverty and all what the 1958 revolution aspired to achieve. After taking a few lessons from me on the contrabass, Jawad joined the INSO as a contrabass player. He was a great supporter of the INSO.

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5. In Memory of Daoud Al-Qaisy

by Bassim Petros

Daoud Al Qaisy was working with Munther Jamil Hafidh andmyself at the music Dept. of Baghdad Radio and TV during themid 1970s. Further, he was my neighbor in Baghdad before moving into his house near the Technology University. His two sons and daughter studied at the Music and Ballet School. He was very friendly with all artists, and assisted them in many aspects, especially with regard to releasing many of them from the army service. In his capacity as a head of The Iraqi Artists Union (Naqaaba), he participated in every musical conference which was being annually held in Baghdad and traveled to certain European and Arab countries to conclude bilateral artistic agreements. Daoud was a very kind person and friendly with all.

Every artist knew him well. His assassination in May 2003 was a tragic loss. He will be remembered by all those who knew him.

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The INSO Writing/Editing Team:

Munir Allahwerdi, Clarinet Player, Engineer (INSO) [Austria]

Wafaa' Al-Natheema, List Moderator & Concert Tour Organizer [USA]

Agnes Bashir, Pianist, Composer (INSO) [Jordan]

Munther J. Hafeth, Composer, Musician (INSO) [IRAQ]

Nahla Jajo, Violinist, Architect (INSO) [France]

Beatrice Ohanessian, Composer, Pianist (INSO) [USA]

Bassim H. Petros, Cellist, Music Critic (INSO) [New Zealand]

Zaid Esmat Shawket, Violinist, Mathematician (INSO) [France]

INSO E-Newsletter: Episode 14

2006-12-13T13:47:00.001-05:00

Bi-Monthly Newsletter
Of the
IRAQI National Symphony Orchestra (INSO)
Episode 14 April 2003
Distributed by Al-Wafaa NewsWebsite: http://www.INEAS.org/al-wafaanews

(*_*) (*_*) (*_*) (*_*) (*_*)

In the name of all those who died, were injured and are living under the horror of the American aggression since March 19th, we dedicate this issue!

In this episode:

1. News & Reports

2. Interview w/ INSO Musicians in Baghdad on April 18

3. How to Become a Subscriber of This INSO Email Bimonthly Newsletter

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1. NEWS & Reports:

* Munther J. Hafeth, Hisham Sharaf and Majid (read Maajid, not Majeed) Al-Ghazali were interviewed live on April 18 on National Public Radio's The Connection. This is a historic interview and worth listening to in its entirety. More details below.

* In a report from Zaid Esmat Shawket (former Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra concert master), who is currently living with his wife in France and has been there for a couple of months to study Ph.D. in Math, we learned that Zaid had lost one of his family members, his mother's sister, May Al-Haydery. Her uncle was the famous Dr. Salim Al-Haydary of Al-Haydary Hospital. She is the wife of Munir Al-Mala'ika, uncle of famous poet Nazik Al-Mala'ika. Munir has been injured as well. May Al-Haydary was killed by the American bombing of Al-Mansoor Quarter as she was trying to find medicine for her retarded daughter. Her mother (Zaid's grandmother), Charlotte Josef Ernest, who is British, still resides in Baghdad despite all the bombings. Charlotte is 92 years old. Zaid Shawkat wrote, "At my aunt's house at Abu Nuwas Street, there were music concerts held by the famous pianist Beatrice Ohanessian and some other musical activities. Munir and May were regular attendants of the INSO concerts. Under this environment, I lived and loved music and became a member of the INSO. "Zaid's picture maybe accessed in the link below: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2399745.stm

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2. Live from Baghdad: Interview w/ INSO Musicians

By WBUR's Dick Gordon on April 18

Here is the link: http://www.theconnection.org/shows/2003/04/20030418_a_main.asp

Commentary by Wafaa' Al-Natheema

One troubling and insensitive request made by the interviewer, Dick Gordon, was asking Husham Sharaf, whose house was damaged by the US bombing and who lost one of his fingers, to "smile for us." The typical "Tumble-for-us" American-style journalism, which reminded some of us of Dan Rather's interview with Saddam Hussein shortly before the war, when he asked Hussein to speak a little English for the viewers! After all the damage the US has inflicted on Iraq, and instead of apologizing, Gordon was expecting a smile from someone who had suffered tremendously by asking him live in front of millions of listeners, an approach that can be equated to force!

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3. How to become subscribers of this (INSO) list?

If you have not subscribed to this list, this is theonly message you receive. To subscribe, please send an email to alwafanews@aol.com by writing 'subscribe' in the message box NOT in the subject title. Thank you.Please note that Al-Wafaa News is an independentnewsletter, which focuses on the arts and social issues.

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The INSO Writing/Editing Team:

Munir Allahwerdi, Clarinet Player, Engineer (INSO) [Austria]

Munther J. Hafeth, Composer, Musician (INSO) [IRAQ]

Nahla Jajo, Violinist, Architect (INSO) [France]

Beatrice Ohanessian, Composer, Pianist (INSO) [USA]

Bassim H. Petros, Cellist, Music Critic (INSO) [New Zealand]

Wafaa' Al-Natheema, List Moderator & Concert Tour Organizer [USA]

Announcement Sent During The War in 2003

2006-12-13T13:36:00.000-05:00

To Subscribers of the INSO Email List
By Wafaa' Al-Natheema

Due to the war on IRAQ and in solidarity with the IRAQI people, this INSO bimonthly newsletter will cease publication until further notice. For media's sake, we, the writing/editing team, welcome your requests and/or need for interviews regarding the IRAQI National Symphony Orchestra, Iraqi arts in general or other related matters concerning IRAQ.

INSO E-Newsletter: Episode 13

2006-12-13T13:07:00.000-05:00

Bi-Monthly Newsletter

Of the

IRAQI National Symphony Orchestra (INSO)

Episode 13 January 2003

Distributed by Al-Wafaa News Website: http://www.INEAS.org/al-wafaanews(*_*) (*_*) (*_*) (*_*) (*_*)

In this episode:

1. News & Announcements
2. NY Times Article on INSO Performance in Baghdad
3. Letter to the NY Times' Editor by Munir Allahwardi
4. Letter to the NY Times' Editor by Wafaa' Al-Natheema
5. A Report From Musicians Trying to Visit IRAQ
6. How to Become a Subscriber of This INSO Email Bimonthly Episodes

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Important note: It is strongly recommended to read the letter to the editor by Munir Allahwerdi to recognize the errors made in the NY Times article. Only the parts related to the INSO areincluded in this episode. Whenever some paragraphs are omitted, you will see six vertical dots on the left edge of this page. To read the entire article and to see the photos, visit the website at the bottom of the article below.

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The Next Issue will be emailed in the end of March. Subscribers are welcome to send their news and announcements by March 15. No reminder will be sent, so please remember to send us your news and announcements by the due date above.

(*_*)______________________(*_*)

General Information: The days between February 11 and 14 are the four-day holiday during which Muslims celebrate the completion of the Hajj or pilgrimage to Mecca. To greet your Muslim friends and/or colleagues, you may say: "Eid Saeed" or "Eid Mubarek". "Eid" means holiday or celebration"Saeed" means happy, "Mubarek" means blessed.

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1. NEWS & Announcements:

* Mesto will give a special Sunday Concert on March 2, 2003, at 4:00 p.m. at West Los Angeles College in California. Nabil Azzam will conduct the 40-piece orchestra in a program that will include compositions representing different musical cultures. Mesto gave its debut concert on March 11, 2000. The repertoire of Mesto has grown fast to include today over 50 compositions. Some of the pieces were composed by the orchestra members. (For more details on the Mesto please visit our site at www.mesto.org)

* Munir Allahwerdi, clarinetist and member of the INSO writing/editting team, and his fellow players in Vienna, have been requested to repeat the concert, St. Salvator Kirche, which they gave in Vienna last October 22, 2002. The repeated concert, which will feature Brahms' Clarinet Quintet again in h-moll op.115, will be held at the Residence of Dip.Ing. Fritz Schueller on 22 February 2003.

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2. NY Times' Article on INSO Performance in Baghdad on December 25, 2002

"In Baghdad, There's Little Romance in Music by Candlelight"December 26, 2002

By NEIL MacFARQUHAR BAGHDAD

Iraq, Dec. 25 - The musicians of the Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra, elegant in black tie or longblack skirts, were just settling into their places on thefinal night of their Christmas week concerts when theelectricity failed and the performance hall was plungedinto darkness. For a while afterward, the performance unrolled with adreamlike quality. A note from the oboe floated through thepitch black, guiding the players tuning their instruments,until candles affixed to the music stands illuminated theirscores. The musicians played an initial overture and thenthe tenor soloist, Emad Jamil, sang the Agnus Dei fromBizet's "L'Arlésienne." But with each turn of the sheet music, the players grewincreasingly nervous about the risk of igniting the barelylegible pages. So they stopped before the final Bach pianoconcerto. "We might as well have been playing in Bach's time," Mr. Jamil later joked ruefully. "But at least I could forget myself in the music. For a short period of time there was nothing but music. It's very hard living with the thought that soon we will have another war."

Baghdad used to pride itself as the living soul of "1,001 Nights," a cosmopolitan place where sophisticated music, theater or cabaret acts spun on long into the night, andwhere the Iraqi middle class kept every publisher in theArab world afloat. Since the beginning of the eight-year Iran-Iraq war in1980, however, Iraqis have ricocheted from one crisis tothe next. The once thriving middle class has been groping through an especially long dark night of plunging living standards since economic sanctions were imposed after Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990. Now they find themselves bracing for yet another conflagration in which they have little voice. In response, they cling to what normalcy they can, defiant one minuteand utterly gloomy the next. "In life, sorrow tends to last just a little longer thanjoy," said Abdul Razak al-Alawi, who helped found theorchestra in 1950 and has been its conductor since 1974. His son and daughter, elementary school students, died in1985 when their home took a direct hit from an Iranian missile. "So we try to just touch the joy to alleviate the sorrow."Most Iraqis seek any brief escape, although even the jokes tend to swirl around their desperation. Audiences have beenpacking the National Theater every night for a show called"Vagabonds," which gently mocks Iraqis for having become a nation of beggars.

"Imagine the difficulty of making people laugh after 20 years of war and 12 years of sanctions," says Abed AliQaed, the show's writer and director, weighing in with hisown twist on an oft-heard political remark, "The conspiracy against our people by the Zionists and the Americans is to kill our ability to laugh." Iraqis sense they are caught in a twilight zone. The Draconian sanctions imposed in 1990 were alleviatedsomewhat by an oil-for-food program started in 1996, but virtually everything the country wants to buy must beapproved by the United Nations. When the last two passengers holding up a plane from Amman to Baghdad were stopped at security, the officer rummaging endlessly through their bags asked the airline agent, "Are they journalists?" "Of course, they are journalists," the agent shot back."Who else would want to go to Baghdad?"

The story of Iraq's lone symphony orchestra follows the arcof the country's development and subsequent decay. Formed with a few strings, woodwinds and horns, by the early1970s it blossomed into a full 70-piece orchestra with 20 to 30 foreign members. It has by now shrunk to some 45 musicians. Big boomingpieces like much of Tchaikovsky, Brahms's Fourth Symphonyor Beethoven's "Eroica" are out of reach. Most of the best instruments have been taken abroad for sale, and replacement parts are rare and costly. When the orchestra started, its members got the thenprincely sum of 10 dinars, or $30, a month. Now they get 25,000 dinars, which is worth $12. That's a little less than the cost of a new set of strings. Every member of the orchestra has another job. The tenorgrinds coffee beans. One horn player drives a cab. The manwho plays the bassoon also fixes electric heaters. They try to give one concert a month, but sometimes toomany miss practice because of their jobs. The audience turns up faithfully whenever they perform. "The good musicians have all retired or left Iraq," saidone man in his 60's, a patron for decades. "Still, it'sbetter than spending a lonely evening at home where youdon't know when the electricity might be cut." Moments after he spoke on Monday night, the power failed inthe performance hall. Mr. Jamil, the tenor, stepped to theedge of the stage before his solo to say the candlelightmade the night seem blessed, expressing his wishes for aMerry Christmas and a far happier New Year for all. "Everybody always makes wishes, but nothing ever changes,"said a voice in English from the dark.

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/26/international/middleeast/26BAGH.html?ex=1041898496&ei=1&en=ad6c773bf995718e

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3. Letter to the Editor

by Munir Allahwerdi

I would like to congratulate the New York Times and Mr. Neil MacFARQUHAR for the article entitled (In Baghdad, There´s Little Romance in Music by Candlelight) in which a true picture of life for the Iraqi people especially the intellectuals and music lovers under UN sanctions is humanely and poetically depicted. As a former Iraqi citizen and a founder of the Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra who served as its solo clarinetist from its inception during the late 1940s until 1960 I found it useful to add a slight correction to the story. The orchestra was referred to as The Baghdad Symphony Orchestra in April 1950 by the English language daily - The Iraq Times- announcing its first concert under that name and listing the names of its founders. Mr. Abdul Razak al-Alawi was not among them nor was he a member of the orchestra at that time. That is a fact needing to be put on record even though I have great respect for him and for his achievements and struggle to keep the orchestra going under the present difficult circumstances. Besides, his name is correctly written as al-Azzawi and not al-Alawi.

[The writer lives in Vienna, Austria as a UN Retiree and continues to play the clarinet and performs with his Chamber Music group of players.]

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4. Letter to the Editor

by Wafaa' Al-Natheema

Despite my boycott of the New York Times for its political incorrectness and propaganda, I read some good paragraphs in the article by Neil MacFARQUHAR. I thank him for reporting on the INSO's performance on December 25. Some of the information presented in his article was valuable. I only wished that MacFarquhar focused on the INSO, musicians and the arts rather than diverting some of the article's paragraphs to addresing political cliches. From my long reading experience of the New York Times, staying neutral or focusing on the subject without hints or hidden agenda is near-impossible whenever the coverage is related to the Arab or Islamic worlds.

The picture, that was included in the article showing the performers with candles, was wonderful and truly romantic. Please note that there were two errors in this article concerning the date on which the Orchestra was founded (not in 1950 as indicated in the article, but almost a decade earlier) and the spelling of Mr. Al-Azawi's name, which appeared in the article as Al-Alawi. Thank you for publishing the article.

Best Regards.

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5. Musicians' Report Hoping to Head to Iraq

by Cameron Powers

We have been invited to enter Baghdad by the Musicians' Association there. We recently heard from some peace activists there that our visa applications have now been approved and that when e-mail communication into and out of Iraq comes back, we may receive this good news from the authorities there. Back here in the USA we give presentations which allow us to show photographs and tell stories about our adventures. On our last trip we sang with people in parks, theaters, homes and restaurants... We lived with Iraqi refugees in Amman and with Bedouins in the desert... We spent some time in Ramallah in the West Bank of Palestine singing in a restaurant and in a hotel...We are prepared to return to the Middle East and to enter Iraq and to bring our musical connection to people there as soon as our visas are approved.

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6. How to become subscribers of this (INSO) list?

If you have not subscribed to this list, this is theonly message you receive. To subscribe, please send an email to alwafanews@aol.com by writing 'subscribe' in the message box NOT in the subject title. Thank you. Please note that Al-Wafaa News is an independent newsletter, which focuses on the arts and social issues.

<><><><><><><><><><><>

The INSO Writing/Editing Team:

Munir Allahwerdi, Clarinet Player, Engineer (INSO) [Austria]

Munther J. Hafeth, Composer, Musician (INSO) [IRAQ]

Nahla Jajo, Violinist, Architect (INSO) [IRAQ]

Andrew Jones, Violinist, Journalist [South Africa]

Beatrice Ohanessian, Composer, Pianist (INSO) [USA]

Bassim H. Petros, Cellist, Music Critic (INSO) [New Zealand]

Wafaa' Al-Natheema, List Moderator & Concert Tour Organizer [USA]

INSO E-Newsletter: Episode 12

2006-12-13T12:44:00.000-05:00

Bi-Monthly Newsletter

Of the

IRAQI National Symphony Orchestra (INSO)

Episode 12 November 2002

Distributed by Al-Wafaa NewsWebsite: http://www.INEAS.org/al-wafaanews

(*_*) (*_*) (*_*) (*_*) (*_*)

In this episode:

1. News

2. INSO South African Tour Updateby Andrew Jones

3. Jawad Selim: A Great Icon of Iraqi Art by Munir Allahwardi

4. How to Become a Subscriber of This INSO Email List.

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The Next Issue will be emailed in the end ofJanuary. Subscribers are welcome to send their news and announcements by January 15.

(*_*)______________________(*_*)

Ramadhan Mubarek to all those who are fasting. We wish you a joyful Eidul Fitr, a happy Hanukkah, a merry Christmas and a fruitful and peaceful New Year

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1. NEWS:

* The Babylon Festival of Iraq, which took place in Babylon in September 2002, had unique programs. Among the programs were the performances of both the Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra (INSO) and the Algerian Symphony Orchestra. They performed separately and jointly at the Festival. The large theater was completely sold out. Mozart's "The Marriage of Figaro," and Beethoven's "Symphony No. 5" were among the pieces that were performed by the INSO at the Festival.

* Nahla Jajo, one of the INSO's young talented violinists and one of the writers/reporters of this INSO bi-monthly magazine, has been in Dordogne, southwest of France since the early fall on a scholarship to give violin lessons to students ages five to eighteen (18) while learning violin techniques. The scholarship, which has been made possible by funding from the Music Esperance, a non-profit organization that helps sponsoring children's concerts, will involve her in orchestral participation as well.

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2. INSO South African Tour Update

by Andrew Jones

The climate in South Africa is difficult to say the least. The Islamic community is fractured. The media offers little or no real insight into the Middle East or Pacific Islamic situations. Most news is couched within the context of Saddam versus Bush. Despite this I have tried for the last few months to engage parties whom I think might be interested in sponsoring an orchestral tour and I've committed my own company to supporting this in whatever way we can. It hasn't been easy, but I think it will happen. In fact, I'm sure it will happen. We just have to be very patient, very persistent and hope that the powers that be decide against war. I'll keep you all posted.

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3. Jawad Selim: A Great Icon of IRAQI Art

by Munir Allahwerdi

During the mid 1940s while at the Fine Arts Institute studying the clarinet, Jawad Selim and I met. Jawad was in his mid-twenties and had just returned from an interrupted study mission in Europe due to the break out of World War II. He was fond of playing the guitar, but only as his hobby since his official mission in Europe was to study sculpture. Selim was looking for someone who played an instrument to accompany him on the guitar for the pleasure of playing music together. He invited me to his home in old Baghdad and showed me his guitar and some of his flute and guitar music. At that first visit, he also played some solo passages on the guitar and we quickly agreed to play together after I transposed the flute part for my B-Flat clarinet. Thus the basis for a lifetime friendship was established when I met with what was to become "the first Iraqi whose fingers produced beautiful things since Hammurabi" as quoted by Rifat Al-Chadirchi with whom I was walking during Jawad's funeral. Jawad and I played and performed in college programs as well as on Baghdad Radio for years. He wanted to expose Iraqis to western music, so he found a natural ally in me and in those who were interested in introducing western classical music to the Iraqi audience. And aside from exposing people to fine recorded music, we all believed that the most effective way for achieving such goal was to expose Iraqis to the music live, and even better, was performed by Iraqi musicians. After all, music, from whichever country, is part of the human heritage, and has a universal message. Jawad's vision toward western music and the arts came at a time when learning about and implementing western arts were considered westernization and was resisted by Iraqi society.

To illustrate further Jawad's thinking: In 1952, I recall on occasion of opening of an arts exhibit at the Higher Teacher's Training College in Baghdad where he was teaching. He asked me to walk with him through the paintings and insisted that I pass my opinion on them. After a long silence not wanting to say a word in front of a great master such as Jawad, he insisted again that I give him my feedback. As I began to voice my opinion, we were in front of a painting by Shakir Hassan As-Sa'eed. So I said Shakir seemed to have been influenced by Amedio Modigliani. Jawad looked at me and said: "That is exactly what I wanted to hear.. Let him be influenced by Modiglani." The guitar was Jawad's favorite instrument. He wanted to explain that this instrument was a logical development of the Arabian Lute (Oud). He requested (and received) my assistance in preparing a lecture with musical illustrations on the guitar and why the Lute was almost totally abandoned and replaced by the guitar in Europe. Selim established the Iraqi Guitar Society in Baghdad and began to give guitar lessons. His involvement in music was not limited to the guitar. It covered the orchestra as well.On his involvement with the orchestra which later became the Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra (INSO) and about his thoughts concerning his major work (The Hurriyah Monument), I feel I should write another article later on.

Jawad Selim was born to his Iraqi parents in Ankara in 1919. He was married to a British artist and with her, Jawad had two daughters; Zayneb and Maryam.

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4. How to become subscribers of this (INSO) list?

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The INSO Writing/Editing Team:

Munir Allahwerdi, Clarinet Player, Engineer (INSO) [Austria]

Munther J. Hafeth, Composer, Musician (INSO) [IRAQ]

Nahla Jajo, Violinist, Architect (INSO) [IRAQ]

Andrew Jones, Violinist, Journalist [South Africa]

Beatrice Ohanessian, Composer, Pianist (INSO) [USA]

Bassim H. Petros, Cellist, Music Critic (INSO) [New Zealand]

Wafaa' Al-Natheema, List Moderator & Concert Tour Organizer [USA]

INSO E-Newsletter: Episode 11

2006-12-13T12:29:00.001-05:00

Monthly Newsletter

Of the

IRAQI National Symphony Orchestra (INSO)

Episode 11 September 2002

The First Anniversay

Distributed by Al-Wafaa NewsWebsite: http://www.INEAS.org/al-wafaanews

(*_*) (*_*) (*_*) (*_*) (*_*)

Dear Subscribers:

This INSO monthly-episode project is celebrating its FIRST anniversary this September. We would like to thank you for making it an interesting task through the year via your commentary, news and information. During this critical time in the life of Iraqis worldwide, these monthly episodes mount as a drop of hope and the willingness to continue and thrive without giving up. In an effort to continue this project complementary (without any sort of funding) and to further improve the quality of the information and news provided, as well as accomodating the writing/editing team'sschedule and availability, I have decided to continue this project on a bimonthly basis. So the next episode will be emailed in November.

I wish you a pleasant and a relaxing fall.

Wafaa' Al-Natheema

"Culture is not just an ornament; it is the expressionof a nation's character"

W. Somerset Maugham

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In this episode:

1. News

2. INSO's History by Wafaa' Al-Natheema

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1. News

A chamber music concert has been scheduled for Tuesday October 22.2002 at 19.30 at the inner courtyard of the St.Salvadore Church, Wipplingerstr.8 in Vienna, Austria. The concert will feature J.Brahms's Clarinet Quintet op.115 in h-moll. Munir Allahwerdi, member of the writing/editing team and INSO will be performing on the clarinet. The string players: Carl Poldy and Reinhard Halsmayr-violins, Herbert Plass- viola and Otto Blecha- chello. FREE to the public. This group of chambe music players has been in existence for some 10 years. They have given concerts in Finlandand in Vienna.

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2. History of the INSO

by Wafaa' Al-Natheema

The Music Institute was established in 1936. It was then when music lovers began to meet at the Institute to listen to classical music both live and recorded. Five years later, The Music Institute was renamed The Institute of Fine Arts whereby a Chamber Orchestra formulated. The Orchestra,which consisted of string instruments, gave its first performance, conducted by Hanna Petros, in 1941 at the Royal College of Medicine.

In 1948, The Baghdad Philharmonic Society was founded in affiliation with the Institute of Fine Arts. This Society, then, formed the Baghdad Philharmonic Orchestra, which was composed of volunteers. The Orchestra gave three performances; two in Baghdad at the hall of the Institute of Fine Arts and at the King Faisal Hall, and a third in Kerkouk (North of Iraq). In 1959 during the leadership of Prime Minister Abdul Karim Qasim, the Orchestra became officially known as the IRAQI National Symphony Orchestra (INSO). Before that year, all musicians used to perform on a volunteer basis. Due to Iraq's instability during the 1960s, the Orchestra was shut down a couple of times. In 1971, underthe presidency of the Baathist Ahmed Al-Baker, theINSO was resumed performing again and continued its activities till the present day. Since its establishment in the 1940s, the INSO has had twenty-two (Iraqi and foreign) conductors.The Orchestra did not just perform classical pieces by European composers, but had also played symphonic compositions by Iraqi musicians. Among them were Farid Allahwerdi, Munther J. Hafeth, Munir Bashir, Hanna Petros, Khalil Ismael, Beatrice Ohannissian, Agnes Bashir, Hussein Qaddouri, Mohammed Ra'oof and others.

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The INSO Writing/Editing Team:

Munir Allahwerdi, Clarinet Player (INSO) [Austria]

Munther J. Hafeth, Composer, Musician (INSO) [IRAQ]

Nahla Jajo, Violinist, Architect (INSO) [IRAQ]

Andrew Jones, Violinist, Journalist [South Africa]

Beatrice Ohanessian, Composer, Pianist (INSO) [USA]

Bassim H. Petros, Cellist, Music Critic (INSO) [New Zealand]

Wafaa' Al-Natheema, List Moderator & Concert Tour Organizer [USA]

INSO E-Newsletters (Episodes 7-10)

2006-07-18T20:03:00.000-05:00

Monthly Newsletter
Of the
IRAQI National Symphony Orchestra (INSO)
Episode 10

July/August 2002
Distributed by Al-Wafaa News
Website: http://www.INEAS.org/al-wafaanews

(*_*) (*_*) (*_*) (*_*) (*_*)

In this episode:

1. NEWS
2. Subscribers' Profile
3. The Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra--Facing the Challenges by Munther J. Hafeth
4. The Sulaimaniya Musical Summer Camp: July 1947

by Bassim H. Petros and Munir Allahwerdi
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1. News:

^^^ This summer, the INSO has published a new book entitled, "The School of Violin" written by Fuad Ridha and a CD consisting of selections from previous performances by the Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra. We await receiving a copy of each of the book and CD for this list's information and for the press.

^^^ 1001 Nights Orchestra's new CD has been released on August 24th

The long-awaited CD of 1001 Nights Orchestra entitled "Music from the Middle East and Beyond" has been released on August 24th at the Paramount Theater. The 1001 Nights Orchestra performed to the "Thief of Baghdad" at the Paramount Theater, where it is said that the film was first screened when it came out in 1924!

The 17-song, 62-minute CD produced by the local indie label Kamooli Recordings is a compilation of the best of the orchestra's repertoire including themes used in their alternative soundtrack to the Thief of Baghdad. The all-instrumental CD includes folk, traditional and
original tunes from Turkey, Iran, Armenia, Russia, Macedonia, Greece, Afghanistan, Spain, Bulgaria and the Arab world, with music ranging from contemplative to dance. The CD will be available online as well as in local stores in Austin.

For more info. about 1001 Nights Orchestra, go to:
http://www.1001nightsorchestra.com

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2. Subscribers' Profiles:

** Katya: I am an American, who due to world events, developed an interest in the Middle East and in Arabic music, particularly the classic composers. I really love Um Kulthoum; it meant so much to hear her songs while within her country. I read the Qur'an out of wanting to know what it said for myself rather than to base what I thought on hearsay, and it's meant a lot to me to do what I could over the years to make what little difference I could in the lives of the Palestinians who are suffering.

I had said to Wafaa', whom I've had the pleasure of meeting, that I could make a donation to the visit of the tour. We had talked about this while discussing possibly procuring for me a cassette copy of the martyr symphony, which the orchestra had recorded and which had been written about in a previous issue of your newsletter.

Thank you very much for your kind attention.

** Denis Halliday: My interest in the Baghdad orchestra goes back to the John Pilger video which he made with me for Carlton TV in London and his wonderful segment on the orchestra and its leader who had lost his wife and was severely burned as a result. I would be happy to provide very modest financial support if you are going in that direction.

As a UN Assistant Secretary-General I volunteered for the assignment to head up the UN presence in Iraq and to be coordinator for the Oil for Food Program. I resigned after one year, having doubled the size of the Program, in protest at UN genocide via the work of the Security Council led and corrupted by the USA. I went public worldwide and used the media, and parliamentarians and other opportunities to bring the attention of others to the double standards of the UN/SC and the killing of innocent Iraqis due to the unending Sanctions regime. Inter Alia, the abuse of the UN, its reform, the misapplication of international law, US bombing and desire for war, not to mention breech of Human Rights by the UN itself, and the unjust punishment of the people of Iraq all remain my concerns.
Sincerely,
Denis J. Halliday>>

** Fawzi Habboosh: I was born in Iraq, studied medicine at the college of medicine in Iraq, did my tour of military duties for 2 and half years, and then residency in surgery in Kadhumain General Hospital. In 1965, I came to the States and did an internship in Washington DC, then a prolonged double residency with the graduate school of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in general surgery and in thoracic surgery. I served as a senior registrar at Hawkmoor IN Devon to Mr. Jack Lloyd Griffith in chest surgery. In 1973, I simultaneously entered Temple University Esther Boyar College of Music to study music and advanced conducting, while working in emergency medicine setting up a department of emergency medicine at Chestnut Hill Hospital in Philadelphia. I was the director for ten years while completing my musical studies.

During my medical practice, I founded the Philadelphia Doctors Chamber Orchestra and have been its music director and conductor for the past twenty years. We have performed in many venues over the tristate area as well as in Washington DC for the Iraqi medical alumni Society in 2000. I have been a guest conductor of the Baghdad philharmonic in 1989, of the Wayne Coterie ensemble in the states and Temple university ensembles. I have participated in workshops in Europe with the West Bohemian Symphony Orchestra for three seasons and with the Karlsbad Symphony Orchestra for one season. I am happy to assist in what I can in the Baghdad Orchestra visit.

** Ghazi Mustafa Bahjat: I performed with the Fine Arts Institute Orchestra from 1954 to 1957 under the Romanian conductor Sando Albo then there were some missing years from 1957 to 1964 that is when I went to W. Germany to further my studies in the oboe instrument. On my return on 1964, I joined the INSO until 1994 when I left Iraq to Jordan where I joined the National Music Conservatory in Amman /Jordan as an oboe player and tutor from 1994 to 1997 when I left for New Zealand. From then to now I am a member of Auckland Symphony Orchestra in New Zealand. As to teaching I was the oboe tutor for the School of Ballet and Music from 1981 to 1994.

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3. The Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra --Facing the Challenges

by Munther J. Hafeth

First of all the conductor had to choose the players and to rehears the orchestra in a limited time, which was usually seventeen hours of total rehearsal; three hours each time, which were enough for one concert per month. That was the standard of this orchestra, but how to keep up with its aspiration? Trained players give that weight of sound, but how to get a good trained players in Baghdad at that time was another challenge for the orchestra to face and solve.

The conductor, Mr. Mommer (who conducted from January 1971 to June 1972), was faithful, and hard working. He knew the way to achieve a good result in that particular three-hour period. He threw himself into the music with unbridled joy and abandon of rehearsal.

Another problem the orchestra faced was to search for a proper concert hall, and a place for rehearsal and administrative center. It was difficult to find a large place to accommodate more than seventy players with good acoustics. The orchestra had to change its place every now and then in order to settle down in a proper location that meets the standards of a symphony orchestra.

Additionally, the orchestra had to deal with the lack of instruments needed to fulfill an orchestra standard. Purchasing good quality instruments from abroad solved this problem.

The other challenge was how to build a music library for the orchestra. A great deal of music literature had been collected since the beginning of Baghdad Philharmonic Society during the fifties. The conductor argued that the members of the orchestra were committed, hard working and compassionate.

The orchestra was almost in a suitable stage to give a good concert, ready to exhilarate the audience, and to prove that it was very possible to establish a symphony orchestra in Baghdad at that time.

In this article, I focus on the period in which the INSO has maintained its status as an official and paid orchestra till the present without interruption despite the wars and the embargo. So the first administrative office for the orchestra was established at the ministry of information in Baghdad in 1971. All the preparations of the orchestra were completed during the summer of that year. As'ad M. Ali, Ihsan Adham, Basim H. Petros and myself were the first officially appointed at the ministry to run the office of the orchestra. In January 1971, the rehearsal time for the orchestra was set in the evening from 6 to 9 PM. The poster of the concert was printed and distributed on walls and public places, tickets were sold and the first concert became a reality, the fruit of the great labor of the committed Iraqi musicians.

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4. Sulaimaniya Musical Summer Camp: July 1947
By Bassim H. Petros and Munir Allahwerdi

The latest round of fighting between the Iraqi Government forces and the Barazani rebels had just ended with Mustafa Barazani fleeing with his men to the USSR. In a celebrating mood, it was decided that the Institute of Fine Arts in Baghdad mobilizes a force of artists, mainly musicians to go to Sulaimaniya to entertain the people with live music and courses in music and arts.

The mission was arranged and headed by Hanna Petros and included the Director of the Institute and instructor for woodwind instruments, Walter Jenke. Both Mr. Jenke and Mr. Petros brought along their families. Among the members of the mission were Munir Allahwerdi (Clarinet), Jameel Bashir (Violin), Dr. Sami Sheikh Qassim (Violin), Petros H. Petros (Trumpet),
Sabah H. Petros (Clarinet), Shaheem (Trombone), Ghanim Haddad (percussion and violin), Salim Hussein (Qanoon), Yaqoub Youssif (Oud) in addition to other musicians. We performed Chamber music (played by Jenke, Munir and Hanna). We also played Band music composed and conducted by Hanna Petros.

Jameel Bashir and others played Arabic and Kurdish music on the violin, Oud and Qanoon. Ismaeel El Shaikhly gave lessons in visual arts.

Aside from that episode, the most pleasant experience which I remember was our being invited to a resort near the Iranian borders at the Goyszah Mountain area which flanks the city of Sulaimaniya. There, near the top of the mountain (we were driven by cars provided for us by the hosts which included Sheikh Latif the son of Sheikh Mahmood Al-Hafeeth), the view was boundless and the air was so fresh and crispy cool under the bright sun.

All of us were sitting under a sort of a cover made of tree branches they call, "Cuprah" which provided shade. A barbecued sheep with rice was prepared and to my surprise several kinds of imported beer cooled with natural condensed snow preserved in pits in the ground from the last winter. It was the tastiest beer I had in my life.

With us were Mrs. Petros and Mrs. Jenke and her two young daughters, who kept themselves busy with their favorite sports and games.

Many performances were presented at Sulaimaniya. There were twenty Kurdish students who attended musical workshops, among them were Prof. Shamal Sayib (famous Kurdish singer, Oud player and a university lecturer), Qadir Dylan (studied Clarinet under Munir Allahwerdi), who worked for twenty years at Prague Radio Station, and William Hanna (a leading musician in Sulaimaniya) and others.

At the end of the summer camp, Hanna Petros composed the music for a Kurdish national song, although he did not know any bit of this language. The song was presented in a public performance, with the Band's accompaniment.

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The INSO Writing/Editing Team:
Munir Allahwerdi, Clarinet Player (INSO) [Austria]
Munther J. Hafeth, Composer, Musician (INSO) [IRAQ]
Nahla Jajo, Violinist, Architect (INSO) [IRAQ]
Andrew Jones, Violinist, Journalist [South Africa]
Beatrice Ohanessian, Composer, Pianist (INSO) [USA]
Bassim H. Petros, Cellist, Music Critic (INSO) [New Zealand]

Wafaa' Al-Natheema, List Moderator & Concert Tour Organizer [USA]

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Monthly Newsletter
Of the
IRAQI National Symphony Orchestra (INSO)
Episode 9

June 2002
Distributed by Al-Wafaa News
Website: http://www.INEAS.org/al-wafaanews

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We would like to inform you that during the summer, the INSO newsletter will be produced once and emailed in the end of August. The first anniversary episode will be emailed in the end of September. We encourage this list's subscribers to send their profiles (as done in this issue) by August 10, so that they will be included in the summer issue.

Have a pleasant and a relaxing summer.

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In this episode:

1. INSO Bits & Pieces by Salem Abdul Kareem
2. Subscribers' Profile
3. The Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra--A Personal Account by Beatrice Ohanessian

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1. INSO Bits & Pieces
by Salem Abdul Kareem

My experience with the Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra (INSO), as a listener, performer, composer and conductor extends to 20 years. In 1976, I was a student at the Center for Musical Studies. Part of the curriculum was a course on western theories, which was taught by a great teacher, Mr. Munther J. Hafeth. He had written a composition for Oud and Orchestra in the form of concerto. When Mr. Hafeth shared his desire with the students to have his composition performed with the accompaniment of the Oud, I was very interested in the project and joined the orchestra to play Hafeth's piece on the Oud. That was my first involvement with the INSO. . . . .

2. Subscribers' Profile

**Evelyn Alsultany is a Ph.D. candidate in the Modern Thought Program and Literature at Stanford University. Her work focuses on Arab-Americans, particularly increasing the visibility of Arab-Americans within the US Ethnic Studies Departments. Her father is Iraqi and she is on the INEAS e-mail list to keep him informed of the Iraqi and other Arab musicians and artists that come to the US.

**Nabil Azzam is the director of Mesto (Multi Ethnic Star Orchestra). He is a violinist, Oud player, composer and conductor. Received his Ph.D. from UCLA. His dissertation was on Muhammad 'Abdul Wahhab's music and life.

Mesto was founded in Los Angeles in order to provide different aspect of world music (based on ethnic music themes) in a symphonic format. Without any regards to the classic norms of the Western classical repertoire, Mesto started to play ethnic music of the Middle East and other areas arranged and reinterpreted to fit the 40-musician Orchestra. Mesto was able to perform three successful concerts and is preparing for the fourth one this summer. It can be accessed at http://www.mesto.org

The aim of joining the INSO list was to "look around" and see what is being done in the field. I really believe that music can do miracles. I admire the Iraqi ethnic music (classical and folk alike) and I also think that the Iraqi audience appreciates Western classical music. "Music is not part of my life; Music IS my life"

** Laith Al-Attar was born in Baghdad, Iraq, in 1978. Currently a student at the University of Michigan, College of Literature, Science and the Arts specializing in Psychology (BS) program and the University of Michigan School of Music Composition (BM) program. He studied Arabic music theory, Oud, and voice with a number of acclaimed Arab musicians, including Karim Bader, Ali Jihad Racy, and Rima Khcheich. His latest composition is Mobile (2002) for solo clarinet. Laith is currently working on a string quartet piece.

He joined the INSO list to learn about the INSO musicians, history and news and hopes to collaborate with the INSO in the future.

3. The Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra--
A Personal Account
by Beatrice Ohanessian

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The year was 1961, I had just returned to Baghdad, my hometown, after having completed my music studies at the Julliard School of Music in New York. That same year I was invited to perform Johann Christian Bach's piano concerto with the Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra (INSO) for brief, conducted by Siegfried Stolte.

Considering the size of the Orchestra then, which included mainly Iraqi musicians, who are graduates from different music schools in Europe and were back home teaching and developing the artistic movement in the field of 'western' classical music performance.

Each had his specialty; his or her chosen instrument and each member was a vital presence in the Orchestra; a medium which demands great sacrifice, cooperation, flexibility, discipline, hard work and perseverance.
To my delight that first concert was a great success. I had performed as soloist in piano concertos with other orchestras in England and the USA, such as the Royal Academy of Music first orchestra; The Orpheum Symphony Orchestra in New York, Julliard School of Music Orchestra New York; the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra (which is called now the Minnesota Orchestra) and other large Chamber Orchestras.

So I felt proud that such venue was also possible in my own hometown Baghdad.

Here I should like to mention an important fact, which is that the Orchestra actually existed long before 1961. I recall its existence since my student days at the Institute of Fine Arts in Baghdad. It grew in the hands of various conductors both local and foreign. It also expanded in number over the years from being almost a chamber orchestra size to a fully fledged sixty member orchestra to which musicians from various foreign countries were invited to join while they were also teaching at music schools in addition to the existing large number of Iraqi musicians.

My collaboration with the Orchestra continued from 1961 to 1994 except for a number of years which I spent abroad working in my field of teaching and concertizing in the United States from 1968 to 1972 and then in Geneva Switzerland from 1972 to 1974.

My post with the Orchestra was that of a permanent member who carried through my piano parts in symphonic works and as a soloist performing numerous concertos from different composers with different conductors. There have been memorable performances throughout the concert seasons with brilliant successes.

Between 1980 up to 1994 I composed several pieces which included solo piano works as well as orchestrated versions of number of them. These works were performed both during our concert season televised and also at the annual Babylon Festivals. Also televised as the first Iraqi-born female composer, my work met with great support from the Orchestra as well as the Ministry of Culture and Information. I had encouragement and appreciation and every cooperation for their presentation a fact, which is very precious and dear to me.

From the mid seventies up to the present time, female musicians joined the Orchestra as permanent members.

They came from different backgrounds, music schools in Baghdad such as the Institute of Fine Arts and the School of Music and Ballet, playing different instruments. Also in the past, several foreign female musicians have worked with the Orchestra.

As for my own repertoire performed over that period of time, I was fortunate to present several challenging concertos with the Orchestra by the following composers: J.S. Bach, J.C. Bach; Beethoven; Saint-Saens; Edward Grieg; Aram Khatchaturian; Bela Bartok; two concertos by Mozart; Amiroff; Chopin; besides my own compositions and others. Those were presented with different conductors from Iraq and other countries to name a few - Hans Gunther Mommer; Siegried Stolte; Hans Graf; Yuri Aliev; Akoka; Abdul Razzak Al-Azzawi; Van Karoly; Mohammed Othman and others.

There were also opportunities to perform with the Orchestra abroad. Some of these events took place in Lebanon in 1974, Jordan also in 1985 and in Moscow, Azerbaijan and St. Petersburg in 1989.

My colleagues have been:

Munther Jamil Hafeth, Assad Mohammed Ali, Bassim Hanna Petros, Fuad Mashta, Nubar Pashtikian, Munir Allahwerdi, Agnes Bashir, Bahija Hafidh, Abdul Razzak Al Azzawi, Mehdi Abed Ali, Moammed Othman, Leith Abdul Ghani.

<><><><><><><*_*><><><><><><>

The INSO Writing/Editing Team:
Munir Allahwerdi, Clarinet Player (INSO) [Austria]
Jason Carter, Guitarist [UK]
Munther J. Hafeth, Composer, Musician (INSO) [IRAQ]
Yaacoub Hallak, Educator, Musicologist [USA]
Nahla Jajo, Violinist, Architect (INSO) [IRAQ]
Andrew Jones, Violinist, Journalist [South Africa]
Salem A. Kareem, Composer & Oud player [UAE]
Beatrice Ohanessian, Composer, Pianist (INSO) [USA]
Bassim H. Petros, Cellist, Music Critic (INSO) [New Zealand]
Wafaa' Al-Natheema, List Moderator & Concert Tour Organizer [USA]

----------------------------------------------

Monthly Newsletter
Of the
IRAQI National Symphony Orchestra (INSO)
Episode 8

May, 2002
Distributed by Al-Wafaa News
Website: http://www.INEAS.org/al-wafaanews
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In this episode:

1. News
2. From Subscribers
3. Series: Honoring Women Composers (Part 1)
by Wafaa' Al-Natheema
****************************************************************

1. News

**In April, we received words that the father of Mr. Salem Abdul Kareem, renowned composer and oud player, had passed away. May his father rest in peace. Salem has composed and arranged several pieces for the INSO and has been part of the editing/writing team of this monthly newsletter. Currently, he is living in the United Arab Emirates. As a result of his involvement in arranging some of Kathum Al-Saher's new CD, constant travel since January and recent loss of his father, he has not been able to participate in the writing of the INSO newsletter. We send him our condolences and wish him peace of mind.

** In Germany, one million people protested the George Bush's "war on terrorism" carrying anti-war slogans during Bush's recent visit to Germany. Being the backbone of the European Union, Germany's unprecedented reaction to the current US policy has challenged the possibility of attacking IRAQ.

** Dr. Yaacoub Hallak will join the writing/editing team of this INSO newsletter. Dr. Hallak, educator and musicologist, earned his Ph.D. in musicology and culture from the Union Institute in Cincinnati, Ohio. He has been teaching graduate courses at Cambridge College on
"The Universal Language of Music in Education and Culture," and on "Shakespeare in Love, Music, and Film." He also teaches at North Shore Community College and Quincy College. In the 1970s and 80s, Hallak worked as a flight engineer, airline transport pilot and commercial pilot for the Middle East Airlines and Royal Saudi airlines. Welcome to Dr. Hallak.

2. From Subscribers

"Wafaa': Through people like you, reporters such as myself are introduced to a colorful, miraculous side of Arab culture we never knew existed. Your tireless work deserves a big
salute--and you deserve a rest. Here's to a speedy and complete recovery.
Warm regards,

Lou Carlozo,

Chicago Tribune"

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"Dear Wafaa´:
I join your other friends and sympathizers in wishing you well and a rapid recovery. I am looking forward to hearing from you again, but give your body and soul time before you go back to work which in your case is very consuming.. Cheer up and chin up.
In Frienship,
Enis Al-Attar"

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"Dear Wafaa':
Assalamu Alaikum,
I am so sorry for the news. I had just learned about your eyes situation. I hope you are now better. Wishing you all happiness, health and peace.
With my best regards,
Cordially,
Salem Abdul Kareem"

**********************

3. Honoring Women Composers (Part 1)
by Wafaa' Al-Natheema

In an effort to acknowledge the unknown and forgotten musicians and their slashed-out-of-history work, this series is dedicated to women composers. Its future parts may or may not be written by me. Other musicians and writers are welcome to add to this series. Although it will focus on women composers who have composed classical music, symphonies concertos and other related variations, occasionally it will introduce women composers in other musical genres.

Music history books are littered with references to composers like Mozart, Haydn, Handel, Verdi, Beethoven and Tchaicovsky. Musical experts and non-expert listeners alike have recognized and noted the historical emphasis on composers who are near entirely white males.

In part one of this series, I will acknowledge two (deceased) French composers, Lili and Nadia Boulanger; an Iraqi composer and a piano player, Beatrice Ohanessian; and a Georgian-Iraqi composer and piano player, Agnes Bashir-Dzodtsoeva. In part two, I hope to cover the life
and accomplishments of women composers such as the Egyptian Baheeja Rasheed, the Palestinian Rima Naser Tarazi and the Iraqi Inaam Wali. Both Rima and Inaam are not classical or symphonic composers. Although I have some information about Inaam Wali, I have little to none about Baheeja Rasheed and Rima N. Tarazi. So, I hope it won't be too long before I find enough references about both of them.

Nadia Boulanger (1887-1979), French music teacher, composer and conductor, born in Paris and educated at the Paris Conservatoire. In 1908, her cantata La Sirene won second place in the Grand Prix de Rome competition. Nadia began teaching at the Paris Conservatoire in 1909
and at the Ecole Normale de Musique, Paris, in 1919.

She was so affected by her sister's death in 1918 that made her stop composing as of that year. Among her positions, were becoming the head of the composition department at the Ecole Normale in 1935.

Between 1939 and 1945, she taught in the US., then returned to the Paris Conservatoire. In 1949 she became director of the Conservatoire Americain, Fontainebleau. Ms. Boulanger was guest conductor with the London's Royal Philharmonic Society in 1936 and 1937; with the
Boston Symphony in 1938 and 1945; and with the New York Philharmonic in 1939 and 1962.

Ms. Boulanger taught such students as the American composers Roy Harris, Lennox Berekely, Walter Piston, Aaron Copland, Marc Blitzstein, Elliott Carter and virgil Thomson, the French composer Jean Francaix and the Russian conductor Igor Markevich.

In addition to the La Sirene, she composed several pieces for cello and piano in 1915 including: Modere, E flat minor; Sans vitesse et a l'aise, A minor; Vite et nerveusement rythme, C sharp minor.

Lili Boulanger (1893-1918), Nadia's sister, was a composer of great promise. Lili suffered through much illness in her short life before passing away due to intestinal tuberculosis in March 1918.

She became the first woman to win Grand Prix de Rome for composing her cantata, Faust et Helene in 1913. She composed the winning piece in four weeks. There is a recording of this composition with Yan Pascal Tortelier conducting the BBC Philharmonic.

In addition, Lili composed Nocturne for violin and piano in 1911 and both D'un Matin de Printemps and D'un Soir Triste in 1918, the year in which she passed away.

Beatrice Ohanessian (1930- ) born in Baghdad, Iraq. She graduated from the Institute of Fine Arts with special honor majoring in piano. With an Iraqi government scholarship, she was able to continue her studies at the Royal Academy of Music in London. Ms. Ohanessian obtained her L.R.A.M. in performance and pedagogy and was awarded the Frederick Westlake Memorial Prize.

She was granted a Fulbright Scholarship to continue her higher training at the Juilliard School of Music in New York where she studied with Prof. Irwin Freundlich in piano. After performing at the Carnegie Recital Hall, which was followed by a series of concerts in the US, she returned to Iraq where she was appointed the head of the piano department at the Institute of Fine Arts.

Summer breaks in Iraq were and still are more than two-month long, periods that enabled Beatrice to participate in Master's classes in Austria and Spain. Also she has given Master's classes and music seminars in Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt and Iran.

In 1969, she was invited to teach at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, and simultaneously at Macalester College in St. Paul. In 1972, she taught and performed in Geneva for two years. In addition to being a regular soloist with the Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra (INSO) and the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra, she was a regular
reciter in Austria and Germany.

Ms. Ohanessian's solo appearances in recitals included Europe (Austria, Belgium, Czeckoslovakia, Finland, France, Germany, Holland, Hungary, Italy, Scandinavia, Switzerland and the UK), the Arab World, Iran and the USA.

Between 1980 and 1994, Ms. Ohanessian composed several pieces including Fantasy on Iraqi Theme, Hamurabi Overture, Spring Ballade, Variations on an Armenian Folk Tune and The Dawn. Beatrice, who is the first Iraqi-born female composer, was honored as a pioneer and first concert artist of Iraq. Since 1996, she has been living in the USA. Being part of the writing/editing team of this INSO newsletter, Ms. Ohanessian has written an informative article about her experience with the INSO, which will be published in June.

Agnes Bashir-Dzodtsoeva (birth year unavailable), born in Tbilisi, Georgia. She began learning music at the age of six. Since then she has pursued music studies until her graduation in 1968 from the Russian Academy of Music.

After marrying Fikri Bashir, an Iraqi musician studying in Moscow, Agnes moved to Iraq and since then has worked as a concert pianist, composer and music teacher at the Music and Ballet School and the Fine Arts Institute in Baghdad. In 1990 Agnes Bashir was awarded the First Prize for composition by the Ministry of Culture and Information in Baghdad.

Since 1992 she has been residing in Amman, Jordan. She worked with Jordan's National Music Conservatory and participated in Jarash Festivals in 1994 and 1995 performing her own compositions. In 1996 she participated in the Spring Festival in Paris (France) and the 10th International Congress for "Women in Music" in Los-Angeles (USA). Agnes contributed in Fuiggi Festival (Italy), where she became an Honorary Member of Adkins-Chitti Foundation.

In 1998, Ms. Bashir got the medal of Recognition from the Italian Prime Minister Office for Equal Opportunities for Men and Women. In 2000 she established the AAWM (Arab Alliance of Women in Music). In the same year, she attended the 27th International Millennium Congress on Arts and Communications in Washington, DC, where she received a medal for her distinguished participation. She also participated in the 2nd Festival of Women-Creators of the two seas the Mediterranean and the Black Sea organized by UNESCO.

She has written numerous compositions including ballets Sinbad and Ishtar, Arabic suite (tone poem for symphonic orchestra), In Jordan (composition for symphonic orchestra), Song of Peace (for choir and orchestra), Dream and Dance (two movements for symphonic orchestra), Fantasia (for Piano), Miniatures (for string quartet) and many others.

Her name was included in the "Who is Who in Music" ; "Who is Who of Intellectuals" ; and "Five Hundred Leaders of Influence on the Art of 20th Century".

This year, on May 13, Agnes Bashir along with Oksana Kosenko, Zina Asfour, Malak Al-Taher and Suad Bushnaq under the patronage of H.E. The Minister of Culture Mr. Haider Mahmoud, The Arab Alliance of Women In Music and in cooperation with Freddy For Music and Le Meridien Hotel presented a "Tribute To The Piano" in help for the people
of Palestine.

Sources:
1. Encyclopedia Britannica
2. Columbia Encyclopedia
3. Funk & Wagnalls Illustrated Encyclopedia of Music
4. Beatrice Ohanessian
5. Agnes Bashir-Dzodtsoeva
6. www.ambache.co.uk/wBoulanger.htm
7. www.classicalmusic.about.com/library/weekly/aa040701a.htm

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The INSO Writing/Editing Team:
Munir Allahwerdi, Clarinet Player (INSO) [Austria]
Jason Carter, Guitarist [UK]
Munther J. Hafeth, Composer, Musician (INSO) [IRAQ]
Yaacoub Hallak, Educator, Musicologist [USA]
Nahla Jajo, Violinist (INSO) [IRAQ]
Andrew Jones, Violinist, Journalist [South Africa]
Salem A. Kareem, Composer & Oud player [UAE]
Beatrice Ohanessian, Composer, Pianist (INSO) [USA]
Bassim H. Petros, Cellist, Music Critic (INSO) [New Zealand]

Wafaa' Al-Natheema, List Moderator & Concert Tour Organizer [USA]

----------------------------------------------

Monthly Newsletter
Of the
IRAQI National Symphony Orchestra (INSO)
Episode 7

April, 2002
Distributed by Al-Wafaa News
Website: http://www.INEAS.org/al-wafaanews
(*_*) (*_*) (*_*) (*_*) (*_*)

In this episode:

1. Announcement to Composers
2. Subscribers' Profiles and Interest

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1. Announcement to Composers

" I am interested in finding out as much as possible about composers from the Arab world in order to consider commissions for them. That means that I would not present the recordings I would get from you or others with anybody in public. I just want to get a sense for what
kind of composers there are and if I can see (hear) them as part of our CrossSound programs.

In order to find out more about CrossSound please go to our web site at http://www.crosssound.com

CrossSound programs are designed to cross many cultural borders and to challenge everybody involved, from the composer to the audience. That concept is what has won us the ASCAP-Chamber Music America Award for Adventurous Programming of Contemporary Music for our current season. We invite composers, usually four per program, from all over the world to write for musicians form Southeast Alaska and beyond.

Our ensembles are very ecclectic and may consist, to give you an example, of Western strings, Chinese erhu, Japanese koto, flute and euphonium. A commission from CrossSound means for the composer to write a new piece very likely for an instrumental combination for which nobody has written before. In addition to that CrossSound will bring the composer to Alaska for a 10 day residency during which the composer will attend the rehearsals of his or her piece and be available for public discussions and interviews and possibly a master class. For this CrossSund pays the airfare and houses the composer.

This should give you more of a sense for the kind of composers for which we are looking and who we may consider to commission to write new pieces for our musicians and audiences.

With kind regards,
Stefan Hakenberg
CrossSound
1109 C Street
Juneau Alaska 99801
+1 907 586-9601
*******************************

2. Subscribers' Profiles and Interest

We ask that ALL subscribers please send us an email of up to ten lines including your full name, mailing address if out of USA/Canada and tel/fax numbers if in the USA/Canada along with a background information on your credentials and interests and the reason for subscribing to this list. Are you interested in funding and/or co-sponsoring the INSO tour? The background paragraph will be included in the May and June issues for introduction and networking purposes without personal contact information unless otherwise requested.

______---_____________---_______

The INSO Writing/Editing Team:
Munir Allahwerdi, Clarinet Player (INSO) [Austria]
Jason Carter, Guitarist [UK]
Munther J. Hafeth, Composer, Musician (INSO) [IRAQ]
Nahla Jajo, Violinist (INSO) [IRAQ]
Andrew Jones, Violinist, Journalist [South Africa]
Salem A. Kareem, Composer & Oud player [UAE]
Beatrice Ohanessian, Composer, Pianist (INSO) [USA]
Bassim H. Petros, Cellist, Music Critic (INSO) [New Zealand]
Wafaa' Al-Natheema, List Moderator & Concert Tour Organizer [USA]

INSO E-Newsletters (Episodes 4-6)

2006-07-14T14:51:00.001-05:00

Monthly Newsletter
March, 2002
Episode 6
Distributed by Al-Wafaa News:
http://www.INEAS.org/al-wafaanews

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In this episode:
1. The INSO's Performance in Baghdad by Nahla Jajo
2. Arab World's Symphony Composers by Bassim H. Petros

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1. INSO's Performance in Baghdad

by Nahla Jajo

The Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra (INSO), which included 50 musicians, performed on March 15 and 16 at al-Rasheed Theater. Both performances were sold out and the audience was very enthusiastic and appreciative. David Boin Carly, the young French conductor, who arrived in Baghdad in early March, conducted both performances and plans to return to Iraq in the future for more rehearsals and performances. Carly was born in 1978. He studied conducting under Robert Martinune. In 1998 he conducted the Con Forza Orchestra and became the assistant of Jan Clemann Joulie for the Academy's Orchestra.

The program included:

Grieg ............. (1843 - 1907)

Peer Gynt suite no. 1
*Morning mood
*Ause's death
*Anitra's dance

Haydn............. (1732 - 1809 )

symphony no. 101 (the Clock)

*Adagio
*Andante
*Menutto Allegro

H.G.Momer

* Fougi~nakhal (Iraqi folk song)

Bizet.............. (1838 - 1875)

L'Arlesienne (suite no. 2)
*Pastoral
*Intermezzo
*Menuetto
*Farandole

--------------------*(*_*)*--------------------

2. Arab World's Symphony Composers
Written by Bassim H. Petros

[with feedback and information from Munir Allahwerdi
and Wafaa' Salman]

The compositions of many of the Arab composers were written in orchestral forms and presented by Symphony Orchestras of various Arabic countries like Iraq, Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Tunisia. Most of the following pieces were composed in
the forms of suites, themes and variations or as concertos for Arabic authentic instruments like 'Oud, Qanoon, Ney and other instruments:

IRAQ:

List of composers includes:

A. Farid Allahwerdi:
1. Al-Mansouria symphonic poem
2. Chamber music works

B. Solhi Al-Wadi:
3. Numerous works composed for Iraqi motion pictures
4. Meditations on a Theme by M. Abdel Wahab Piece # 4 was composed
for and presented by the Syrian National Symphony Orchestra (SNSO)

C. Beatrice Ohanessian:
5. Fantasy on Iraqi Theme
6. Hamurabi Overture
7. Spring Ballade
8. The Dawn
9. Variations on an Armenian Folk Tune

D. Hanna Petros:
10. Rondo Oriental (originally for Piano solo)
11. Melodie Arabe (for Violin and Piano)
12. Works for Wind instruments band.

Numerous works, composed by the following musicians,were written mainly for and presented by the INSO:

Abdalla Jamal, Abdul Amir As-Sarraf, Abdul Razzak Al-Azzawi, Hussein Qaddouri, Mohammed Ameen, Munir Bashir, Munther Jamil Hafeth, Salem Abdul Kareem and Sultan Al-Khatib. Both Munir Bashir and Salem Abdul Kareem, being oud players and composers, did not work with the INSO continuously. Munir Bashir composed "from the Orient to Andalus," to be performed by the INSO. Salim Abdul Kareem composed Oud Concerto (in F minor) which he played it with the INSO in 1993.

Compositions' titles of other composers will be collected and the list will be updated accordingly.

Egypt:

A. Ahmad Ebeid:
13. Symphonic Poem "5 November"

B. Aziz El-Shawan
14. Concerto for Piano & Orchestra, composed in 1959.

C. Mohammed Hasan El-Shogaa'y:
15. Overture Salah El-Din

D. Yousef Greiss:
16. Symphonic poem (Misr "Egypt"):
- La Paysanne
- La Bedouin
- Moonlight.

E. Abu Bakr Khairat:
17. Variations on a Theme by Sayed Darwish (2nd movement of the 3rd Symphony, op. 23, in C major)
18. Suite Folklorique, op. 24, in C major
19. Symphony No. 2 (La Folklorique), op. 21, in G minor
20. Mouwashah (Old anonymous) with Choir.

F. Baheeja Rasheed:
21. Youth Songs "Nagwa"
22. "Dream uninterrupted"

G. Hasan Rasheed:
23. Opera "Anthony's Death" - Poem by Ahmed
Shawqy (Cleopatra)

Additionally, Ahmed El-Saedi, who was the music director and principle conductor of the Cairo Symphony Orchestra, had written numerous compositions for symphony and chamber orchestras. He was awarded Egypt's highly acclaimed prize for composition in 1995. Titles of his compositions are unavailable.

Syria:

A. Muhammed Adel Jeray:
24. Maqam Shehnaz for Lute and Orchestra.

B. Nour Iskander:
25. Concerto for 'Oud and string quartet

Lebanon:

Walid Gholmiyya:
26. 'Ash_shaheed' Martyr Symphony
27. 'Al_Qadisiyya Symphony

Walid Gholmiyya's above symphonies among others were commissioned by the Iraqi Ministry of Culture and Information.

Tunisia:

Saleh Al-Mehdi

No specific titles of any of his compositions are available to us. Al-Mehdi is the founder of the National Music Conservatory in Tunis and an Arabic music scholar. In 1975, while hosting the 4th conference of the Arabic Academy of Music in Baghdad, the INSO played one of his compositions. As for Arabic Symphony Orchestras other than those of Iraq and Egypt: The Syrian National Symphony Orchestra founded under the direction of (the Iraqi) Solhi El-Wadi gave series of concerts in the USA, Europe, Egypt and Jordan.

The Jordanian Army Symphony Orchestra was trained in Vienna by a special request from the late King Hussein. It no longer exists as the majority of its members have retired. The Jordanian Symphony Orchestra was founded and conducted by Kifah Fakhouri, Director of the National Music Conservatory in Amman. Since 1994, the Orchestra has been performing under the direction of Mohammed Othman Siddiq (an Iraqi pianist - conductor) Many young Iraqi musicians work and play with this Orchestra.

______---_____________---_______

The INSO Writing/Editing Team:

Munir Allahwerdi, Clarinet Player (INSO) [Austria]
Jason Carter, Guitarist [UK]
Munther J. Hafeth, Composer, Musician (INSO) [IRAQ]
Nahla Jajo, Violinist (INSO) [IRAQ]
Andrew Jones, Violinist, Journalist [South Africa]
Salem A. Kareem, Composer & Oud player [UAE]
Beatrice Ohanessian, Composer, Pianist (INSO) [USA]
Bassim H. Petros, Cellist, Music Critic (INSO) [New Zealand]
Wafaa' Al-Natheema, List Moderator & Concert Tour Organizer [USA]

(_*_)_____________________(_*_)

Monthly Newsletter
February, 2002
Episode 5
Distributed by Al-Wafaa:
http://www.INEAS.org/al-wafaanews
(*_*) (*_*) (*_*) (*_*) (*_*)

In this episode:

1. The INSO's performance in Baghdad by Nahla Jajo
2. Thoughts from An Artist by Jason Carter
3. Jazz & Blues -- Arab Influences by Wafaa' Al-Natheema
4. Subscribers' Commentary and Questions followed by a reply from Wafaa' Al-Natheema
5. Apology

(*_*)))))))))))))))))(((((((((((((((((((*_*)

1. Report on the February INSO's Performance
by Nahla Jajo

I was so proud to see an audience of about 350 attendthe INSO Um Al Ma'arik competition on February 20 that al-Rasheed Theater. Members of the Ministry of culture were attending as well. Out of eleven Iraqi composers, three winners' compositions were selectedfor the performance.

They were:

* Munther J. Hafeth ....... Piece title: Kaseedah Reefiyyah

* Abdul Ameer As-Sarraf ......Piece title: Anwar Al-Kuds

* Hasan A. Elewee ..... Title: Watany

The orchestra was conducted by Abdul Razzak Al-Azzawi and included forty-five musicians.

The next concerts will be on March 15 and 16 and will be conducted by Boane Karli, a French conductor who will arrive in Baghdad on March 1st.

------------------------------

2. Thoughts from An Artistby Jason Carter

I have recently seen the effect of how Art can influence, unite, inspire and encourage. Having visited the Middle East twice since November, performing to mixed audiences of Bahrainis, Europeans, Qataris, Saudi Arabians, North Americans and Emiraties, I would often look around the hall and catch the eyes of children, mothers, teenagers, fathers and the elderly. Each one of these people receives something different from the music. It is easy and possibly naive to use this as a template for bigger situations in the world, but then I am an optimist.

I am very interested in how art can influence society and politics. Someone once said 'A society is only as good as its dreams, and its dreams are dreamed by artists'. I think there is some truth in this. Regardless of who is an artist, perhaps deep inside we are all artistic in some way, but some gifts are more obvious than others.

----------------------------

3. Jazz & Blues -- Arab Influences

by Wafaa' Al-Natheema

The resemblance is close enough to suggest directinfluence, especially in view of the importance of the Gold Coast in the North American slave trade. The famous hollers, those rhapsodic forerunners of the early blues, seem to have derived as much from the Savannah as from the coastal style. At the end of the nineteenth century, Jeannette Robinson Murphy gave an account ofthe black American singing style which leaves no doubtabout its Near Eastern character. Beginning with the most solid pieces of evidence, the instruments.

Mesopotamia seems to have been the birthplace of the bow harp, roughly described as a bent stick with a sound-box at one end and several strings strung between this on the other end. Another very early Mesopotamian invention was the lyre. Later on the oud (lute), which made its appearance in the same area. Lute is the conventional designation of the instrument, but in fact it would be more accurate to describe this ancestor of the whole guitar and fiddle family as a primary banjo, with the sound-box and the strings played with a plectrum, tied onto the broomstick-like finger board.

The reed pipe was another Mesopotamian development. A silver pipe from Ur has actually come down to us from about 2500 BCE, its shape is debatable whether it was single or double. The harps, lyres, lutes and pipes of Mesopotamia spread into Egypt, and later into Greece and mainly through the Greek influence to Rome. Via the Roman empire, they then made their way into northern Europe. From Egypt the same instruments spread south and westward into Africa, where some of them survive to this day: the lyre family in East Africa, and the lute, in its original form, in the more northerly parts of West Africa.

Along with the instruments went the Near Eastern singingstyle. In Africa it can be found in approximately the sameareas at the Near Eastern instruments, and there is everyindication that it prevailed in medieval Europe as well, at least among the upper classes. No sooner had the Islamicinfluence reached its height, around 1300 CE, than it began to recede with the first stirrings of the Renaissance. In one way, the Renaissance was itself the outcome of Oriental influences. Europeans, and especially Italians, took Arab science, culture and financial methods, andwith them started a train of developments which have gone on to this day.

Writing of the United States, Alan Lomax describes 'Southern backwoods singing' as "mostly unaccompanied, rubato, highly ornamented and solo; the voice oriental, high-pitched and nasal, produced out of a tense body and throat".

A. M. Jones gives much the same description of the Afro-Arab style: "The Islamic tradition can at once be recognized by the very nasal and string quality of voice that is invariably used. But added to the nasal vocalization there is the very frequent use of mordents to embellish the melody notes. "The African style, too, was taken across the Atlantic. Latenineteenth century commentators remarked on it.

------------------------------

4. Subscribers' Commentary and Questions followed by a reply from

Wafaa' Al-Natheema

*** "Dear Wafaa':
Thank you and the writing/editing team for all the work you've been doing. It is great that we are learning about the tour update and the INSO performances. Please keep the articles from the perspective of the musician's personal account coming like the first article by Allahwerdi and the one by Andrew Jones as well as the history of the INSO as you've been doing in the previous emails. The "history of musical documentation" provided an interesting information. I am looking forward to reading about Middle Eastern composers who composed symphonies and women musicians who were/are part of the INSO. I enjoyed reading about Paul Anka. I bet very few know that he is an Arab-American. I think it should be made public especially at this anti-Arab-bashing time.
Keep up the great work,
Richard Sullivan"

*** "Thank you, Wafaa', the sponsors and the writing/editing team for being eager and consistent with the INSO project. Even if the INSO don't end up coming, your victory is that you are educating the world about such an unknown symphony. God bless you.Pardon my confusion, but I was unclear about Paul Anka's Arab origin. Which side of his family or is he an Arab from both sides and when did his parents come to North America? Congratulations! Keep up the wonderful work.
Warmest Regards from
Rita Cohen-Sharaf"

Reply to Rita Cohen-Sharaf from Wafaa'

"Thanks for your commentary and encouragement. Paul Anka's both parents are originally Lebanese Arabs who arrived in Canada in the early part of the 20th century. No exact date is available as to the arrival of his family. Unless you are writing some article about him and it is extremely important for you to know, then I will be encouraged to write to Paul Anka or phone his manager. Otherwise, I will leave it at that. Thanks again."

(_*_)------------------(_*_)

5. Apology

We would like to apologize for not including thearticle about Modern Arab Symphony Composers in this issue. The author of the article has been undergoing prolonged and serious health problems. We wish him well andpromise to include his article in the March episode.

______---_____________---_______

The INSO Writing/Editing Team:

Munir Allahwerdi, Clarinet Player (INSO) [Austria]
Jason Carter, Guitarist [UK]
Munther J. Hafeth, Composer, Musician (INSO) [IRAQ]
Nahla Jajo, Violinist (INSO) [IRAQ]
Andrew Jones, Violinist, Journalist [South Africa]
Salem A. Kareem, Composer & Oud player [UAE]
Beatrice Ohanessian, Composer, Pianist (INSO) [USA]
Bassim H. Petros, Cellist, Music Critic (INSO) [New Zealand]
Wafaa' Al-Natheema, List Moderator & Concert Tour Organizer [USA]

_____________________________

Monthly Newsletter
January, 2002
Episode 4
Distributed by Al-Wafaa News:
http://www.INEAS.org/al-wafaanews

(*_*) (*_*) (*_*) (*_*) (*_*)

In this episode:
1. The INSO's performance by Nahla Jajo in Baghdad
2. NEWS
3. INSO Tour Update
4. An Arab-American Popular Singer by Wafaa' Al-Natheema.

(*_*)))))))))))))))))(((((((((((((((((((*_*)

Stay Tuned for Middle Eastern composers who composed symphonic work as well as for Iraqi Women Musicians with the INSO in the next episodes.

(**********************************)

1. Report on the INSO's Performance

by Nahla Jajo

The Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra (INSO), conductedby Mohammed Amin Izzat, gave two performances in Baghdad's Al-Rashid Theatre on January 23th and 24th.

The program included:

Dance Macabre ................ Saint-Saëns (French)
Symphony no. 85 ................Haydn (Austrian)
'The Queen' Concerto for the piano & orchestra no. 20 ....... Mozart (Ausrian)

In both performance dates, the hall was full with an increasingly approving, appreciative and pleased audience. One interesting aspect about the current INSO is that the entire Orchestra is comprised of Iraqi born and raised musicians, which is relatively uncommon in Middle Eastern Orchestras.

For The Records:

* Saint-Saëns (1835-1921): The best known of the thirteen operas completed by Saint-Saëns is "Samson et Dalila", a romantic treatment of the biblical story.

* Haydn (1732-1809): His many works include 104 symphonies, 85 string quartets, 52 piano sonatas, 4 oratorios and 14 Masses.

* Mozart (1756-1791): His three last and best symphonis (Nos. 39, 40 and 41) were composed in the astonishingly short time of about six weeks in the summer of 1788.

-----------------------------------

2. NEWS:

** Ojala CD has been selected # 6 in the Austin Chronicle's Top Ten lists of 2001. The CD was produced and performed by the Iranian-born Kamran Hooshmand [subscriber] and the Mexican-born Javier Palacios. The 11-song CD includes love songs in both Persian and Spanish languages, often within the same song. Fourteen additional musicians from around the world have participated in this production with a variety of instruments such as accordion, clarinet, guitar and the Middle Eastern drums. Hooshmand plays on the 11-stringed Oud (or lute), which gives the CD its Middle Eastern character.The Austin Chronicle's list include Tosca Tango Orchestra's release "La Ciudad del Tango", and the Latin/Cuban dance band La Tribu's release "Ataca!". To see the entire list, please access http://www2.austinchronicle.com/issues/dispatch/2002-01-04/music_strung_all.html

More information about Ojala and how to order the CD can be obtained at their website at http://www.ojalamusic.com/

** Fuad Mishu, one of the earliest musicians of theINSO, has celebrated his 80th birthday this January. He currently lives in Tennessee, USA.

** In February, Jason Carter will give several performances in the Gulf States of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain. The dates andlocations are: February 11, 02 at the Raddisson SAS Hotel in Bahrain and February 16 at the Virgin Megastore in Dubai, UAE. For tickets, call 04 3551862 or log on www.factoryproduct.com

(*_*)_____(*_*)

3. INSO Tour Update

Wafaa' Al-Natheema conference called Andrew Jones in South Africa and Denis Morrison in Seattle on Saturday, January 19. The three discussed the tour idea, goals and plans as well as grant proposal writing and grant-giving organizations. Andrew Jone's main goal is to have the Durban's Natal Philharmonic Orchestra sponsor the tour. The Orchestra's director, Bongani Thembe, being a progressive individual and a friend of Jones providea positive initiative. Denis Morrison of INOC (Interfaith Network of Concern for the People of Iraq) indicated that Sponeck had received the draft letter writtenby him and awaits the signature of Denis Hallidayand Hans Von Sponeck who were both United Nations Humanitarian Coordinators in Iraq.

(*_*)_____(*_*)

4. An Arab-American Popular Singer

by Wafaa' Al-Natheema

Although we focus on information and articles on classical and orchestral music as well as on symphony composers in these monthly episodes, every once in a while we will introduce other musical genres and types of artists. Paul Anka was born in 1941. He became popular at the age of fifteen, when the recording of his own song 'Diana' sold more than 9 million copies throughout the world. In 1959, he settled in the USA (Coming from Canada), where he composed the hits, 'Put Your Head on My Shoulder' for himself, 'She is A Lady' for Tom Jones, and 'My Way' for Frank Sinatra.

Anka gave limited performances in the 1960s. He reemerged in the 1970s with his song 'You're Having My Baby', which although failed to please the critics, it became a huge success. By the mid-1970s, Anka had produced fifteen gold records.

_________---_____________---_______

The INSO Writing/Editing Team:

Munir Allahwerdi, Clarinet Player (INSO) [Austria]

Jason Carter, Guitarist [UK]

Munther J. Hafeth, Composer, Musician (INSO) [IRAQ]

Nahla Jajo, Violinist (INSO) [IRAQ]

Andrew Jones, Violinist, Journalist [South Africa]

Salem A. Kareem, Composer & Oud player [UAE]

Beatrice Ohanessian, Composer, Pianist (INSO) [USA]

Bassim H. Petros, Cellist, Music Critic (INSO) [New Zealand]

Wafaa' Al-Natheema, List Moderator & Concert Tour Organizer [USA]

INSO e-newsletters (Episodes I to 3)

2006-07-13T15:37:00.001-05:00

INSO Monthly Newsletter

December, 2001

Episode 3

Distributed by Al-Wafaa News Website

http://www.INEAS.org/al-wafaanews

(*_*) (*_*) (*_*) (*_*) (*_*)

In this episode:

1. News

2. INSO Tour Update by Denis Morrison [Sponsor in Seattle]

3. 'History of Music Documentation in Iraq' by Bassim H. Petros [W/E Team]

4. 'History of the INSO - Part II' translated into English by Wafaa' Al-Natheema [W/E Team]

5. A Special Message from Wafaa' Al-Natheema [W/E Team]

(*_*)))))))))))))))))(((((((((((((((((((*_*)

Stay Tuned for Middle Eastern composers and some of their published work in the next episode.

(**********************************)

1. NEWS:

* We are pleased to announce that Jason Carter, a Spanish guitar player from Britain, has joined our writing/editing team.

Jason Carter plays a fusion of flamenco, jazz and classicalguitar. He was trained under John Williams and Paco Pena at the Royal Academy of Music in London. Some of his solo performances took place in Bahrain, Belgium, Finland, France, Holland, India, Ireland, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and the USA. Jason played with the Orchestra of the Royal Marines, New Irish Orchestra, Belgium Radio Choir and others. He co-founded the ‘Bahrain International Guitar Festival.’ This year Jason received a Music Award from the Crown Prince of Bahrain alongside fourArab Artists. In 2001 he performed the ‘Concerto de Aranjuez’ to celebrate the centenary of the composer’s life, Joaquin Rodrigo. This was performed in Finland, Ireland and the UK. He has also recorded ‘Boccherini Guitar Quintets’ with the Bingham String Quartet.

* Fawzi Habboushe [subscriber], music director and conductor of the Philadelphia Doctors' Orchestra, has participated in a workshop focusing on conducting in the Czech Republic between Nov 29 and Dec 9. The activities included rehearsals of Beethoven symphony # 2, Rimsky-Korsakov's Capriccio Espaniole, Copland's Outdoor Overture, DeBussy's Afternoon of a Faun, Strauss's Polka and Donna Diana's Overture of Resnicek. A concert with the Karlsbad symphony orchestra concluded the workshop.

----------------------------------------------

2. INSO Tour Update from Seattle by Denis Morrison

We are still looking for someone who can write a grant proposal to solicit funds for the INSO project. Currently, we have no funds to pay for a grant writer so that person would have to be able to look at including his/her fee within the grant proposal itself. Our hope initially wasto find someone with that skill to donate that ability.

As a side effort to the funding, a draft letter was sent to Hans Von Sponeck, former UN Humanitarian Aid Coordinator to Iraq; which if he agrees to its content, it will be sent to the two Washington State Senators asking for their support of the INSO project for Seattle. While visiting in Seattle, Mr.Sponeck was presented with the background of our intent with the INSO project and he was extremely supportive of the idea. He requested the draft letter be sent to him and we're hoping that he finds it acceptable.

_________---_____________---_______

3. 'History of Music Documentation in Iraq'

by Bassim H. Petros [W/E Team]

For over three decades, the Iraqi media (press, periodicals, TV and radio) have contributed in the publishing of musical articles and journals. Among the leading writers were:

1 Asa'ad Mohammed Ali, 2 Abdul Wahab Belal, 3 Adel El-Hashimi, 4 Abdul Wahab El-Sheikhli,

5 Soua'd El-Hermizi, 6 Bassim H. Petros, 7 Hussein Qaddouiri, 8 Hamdi M. Saleh, 9 Hameed Yasin.

During the 1980s and 1990s, writers such as Tarek Hassoon Fareed and Adel Al-Hashimi became among the major contributors in the music documentation process. For the INSO concerts and relevant program literature booklets, the major contributors were Ghazi Mustafa Bahjet, Mazin El-Zahawi, Munther J. Hafeth, Bassim H. Petrosand Hamdi Qaddouri. The World of Music, the first TV program of its kind,was established in 1974, as a weekly one-hour program, by both Munther J. Hafeth and Bassim H. Petros. They both hosted it for over a year, and then was continued by Father Phillip Helayee (Music Scholar), Abdul Razaak Al-Azzawi and Tarek Hassoon Fareed. During the second half of the 90s, Sultan Al-Khateeb (a young pianist, graduated from the Music and Ballet School, Baghdad) and Ali Abdul Amir (a journalist) hosted another musical TV program called 'Music Music'.

Musical conferences and festivals were regularly held and/or hosted in Baghdad, and other towns in Iraq. The National Symphony Orchestra used to give concerts in Baghdad, Mosul, Kirkuk, Erbil, Suleymania, Nassiriya and Basra with lectures presented prior to many of the performances. Special concerts were organized for Students Summer Popular Work Camps, universities and disabled rehabilitation centers.

Al-Kithara, Music and Children: Monthly magazines were published in 1975 by the Musical Arts Department of the Ministry of Culture and Information. Al-Kithara's Editor-in-Chief was Munir Bashir. Bassim H. Petros (currently living in NZ) was the magazine's editor and Munther J. Hafeth and Hussein Qaddouri (both living in Iraq) were its editing team. The Arabic Music Magazine (of the Arab Academy of Music "Al-Majma'a Al-Arabi Lil-moseeqa" of the Arab States League) was published in 1982. The first six issues were edited by the late Dr. Sinan Sa'eed. Then continued to be edited by Bassim H. Petros with Munir Bashir asEditor-in-Chief. The first 11 issues of the Arabic Music Magazine were published and printed in Baghdad. Later, four other issues were published outside of Iraq:

* One published in Sudan (studies on the Pentatonic Music),

* Another issue published in Morocco, and

* Two issues published in Syria..

Since 1997, the magazine has been published in Amman (where the Academy's new Secretary General Kifah Fakhouri). Five issues were released since then.National and international musical conferences and festivals were regularly held and/or hosted in Baghdad, which were organized and sponsored by the Iraqi National Music Committee of the International Music Council - Unesco. The committee was composed of Munir Bashir (president), Munther J. Hafeth (vice-president), Bassim H. Petros (secretary general), with other music documentors such as Hussein Qaddouri, Dr. Subhi Anwar Rashid and others.As a result, the musical culture gained an adequate level ofdocumentation in Iraq, third after politics and sports, whichis perhaps a common rank of subject importance worldwide.

(*************)()()()()()()()()()(**************)

4. 'History of the INSO' by Wafaa' Al-Natheema [W/E team] Part 2

Mostly based on documents published by the Ministry of Culture and Information, and made available by Bassim H. Petros

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

In 1959, the Orchestra became officially known as the IRAQI National Symphony Orchestra (INSO), whereby musicians began to earn monthly stipend. Before that year, all musicians usedto perform on a volunteer bases. Due to Iraq's instability during the 1960s, the Orchestra was shut down a couple of times.

In 1971, it was reopened and continued its activities and performances till the present day.Since its establishment in the 1940s, the INSO has had twenty-two (Iraqi and foreign) conductors (their names will be enlisted in future issues)

TheOrchestra did not just perform classical pieces by European composers, it had also played symphoniccompositions by Iraqi musicians. Among them were Farid Allahwerdi, Munther J. Hafeth, Munir Bashir, Hanna Petros, Khalil Ismael, Beatrice Ohannissian, Agnes Bashir, Hussein Qaddouri, Mohammed Ra'oof and others.

To be continued............

--------------------------------------------------------------

5. A Special New Year Message from Wafaa' Al-Natheema

On December 24, I sent all this list's subscribers a note and a Eid greeting card. For those who did not open the musical card, I enclose its English message below wishing you all a happy New Year filled with peace of mind. May it will be the year in which we experience the INSO live in the USA and/or South Africa.

'If you wish to be happy for an hour, take a napIf you wish to be happy for a day, go fishingIf you wish to be happy for a month, travelIf you wish to be happy for a year, get marriedIf you wish to be happy for life, help others'

Chinese Proverb

(*_*)******(*_*)

'There is more to life than to increase its speed'

Gandhi

(*_*)**(*_*)**(*_*)

'Out beyond ideas of wrong doing and right doing, there is a field. I'll meet you there.' Jalalu~ddine Rumi (born in Afghanistan)

(*_*)***(*_*)***(*_*)

May you overcome your fears and be in THAT FIELD.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

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The INSO Writing/Editing Team:

Munir Allahwerdi, Clarinet Player (INSO) [Austria]Jason Carter, Guitarist [UK]

Munther J. Hafeth, Composer, Musician (INSO) [IRAQ]

Nahla Jajo, Violinist (INSO) [IRAQ]

Andrew Jones, Violinist, Journalist [South Africa]

Salem A. Kareem, Composer & Oud player [UAE]

Beatrice Ohanessian, Composer, Pianist (INSO) [USA]

Bassim H. Petros, Cellist, Music Critic (INSO) [New Zealand]

Wafaa' Al-Natheema, List Moderator & Concert Tour Organizer [USA]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

INSO Monthly Newsletter

November, 2001

Episode 2

(*_*) (*_*) (*_*) (*_*) (*_*)

In this episode:

1. News

2. 'A Violin & A Trip' by Andrew Jones [W/E Team]

3. History of the INSO translated into English by Wafaa' Al-Natheema [W/E Team]

4. Inquiry about M. E. composers by Nabil Azzam [Subscriber]

5. Announcement by George Michael [Subscriber]

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. News

* Recently, we learned that Iraqis are now able to get on the Internet in the convenience of their home or office, something that was unavailable before. We received our first email three days ago from Nahla Jajo in Baghdad, a violinist and one of INSO's writing/editing team. We were informed by her that the INSO just gave a performance in October. We await her report about the concert. The availability of the email service in Baghdad will make it easier for us to receive their reports, news and articles, not to mention it enables us to planand organize better for the tour sake.

* We are proud to announce that the famous Iraqi pianist and composer, Beatrice Ohanessian, had just joined our writing/editing team. Until we receive her credentials and article in December, we will introduce her with a brief background provided by BassimH. Petros:

Beatrice Ohanessian was born in Baghdad in 1930, where she started her early piano training at the age of 7. In 1937, she entered the Music Institute where she was accepted regardless of her age condition. She studied there all through 1944 under Prof. Julian Herts (Romanian). Upon graduation in 1944, she was appointed as piano teacher at the Institute of Fine Arts. On a scholarship grant, Beatrice proceeded with higher studies at the Royal Music Academy in London. Ms. Ohanissian was granted another scholarship to study at the Juliard School of Music in New York. Stay tuned for more.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

2. 'A Violin & A Trip -- Performing in Baghdad'

By Andrew Jones

It’s hard to remember the day, but I know it was hot in downtown Baghdad. I had found out about the Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra (INSO) through my association with Layla Al-Attar, who was the Director General of Arts.

In 1993, Ms. Al-Attar and her husband were at a family member's house when they were killed by a cruise missile. Their house had been hit in January 1991 and destroyed. But at that time, they weren't home. Layla made a phone call and got me an invitation to a rehearsal. I was looking forward to it eagerly and would have been even more eager had I not lost my violin on the way over from the States. As it happened, my Lufhansa flight to Frankfurt and Rome had left early because of thunder storms. I had had my violin repaired. Unfortunately my partner was bringing it to the airport from the repair shop when he got stuck in traffic. So my violin missed the flight. He sent it via the next flight but that one was late because of the same group of storms. So by the time it arrived, my connecting flight had left already. So there I was about to take a video of the INSO and all I could think of was that my violin wasn't there with me.

I remember they were playing Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings, a piece my own ensemble in the States had performed. They played very well.

After completing their rehearsal, one of the musicians approached me and started asking me questions. Yes, I am a musician, I said. My instrument?, the violin. He immediately grabbed one of the violinists, and spoke to him in Arabic. After which the young man politely handed me his violin. Now I didn't know everyone was watching this until I put my camera down, took up the instrument and this huge silence came over the hall. First, I played theA and E strings to see how well in tune they were. I sharpened the A string a bit to create perfect fifths. Because I changed the tuning of the A string, I had to raise the pitch on the D and G strings. Then, I listened again to all four strings and decided that they were in tune. I played a four octave D major arpeggio and a bit of Bach. When I finished all musicians applauded. Later I was able to perform in concert with the Baghdad Chamber Music Ensemble, a group made up of the principal players in the INSO.

In rehearsals as well as during our concert at the Saddam Arts, to say they played me into the dirt is an understatement. The concertmaster, Aram Zarassian, had studied in Russia and so had the cellist and a few of the others. Their training had been first rate and their playing was masterful whereas my performance was competent at best. But I was pleased for having the chance to do something other musicians wouldn't have had the chance to do so, perform in Baghdad at the Saddam Arts Center. Ms. Al-Attar and her husband attended the concert and they both were proud of me and their own musicians.

After the concert, I promised the musicians that I would help them come to the States and perform. Little did I know how difficult that was to accomplish here in the States, but I never forgot that promise. Now that I live in South Africa, I can and will do my best to arrange for them to tour here. I did eventually recover my violin in the lost and found department at Lufthansa Airlines in Frankfurt. The agent swore they didn't have it, but I insisted they did. After two hours of arguing and searching, I found it. Having survived such circumstances, I am interpreting this as some kind of an omen for what lies ahead. I took it as a sign and intend toplay it with members of the INSO when they come to South Africa.

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3. History of the Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra (INSO) Part 1
Translated to English by Wafaa' Al-Natheema

From documents published by the Ministry of Culture and Information, compiled and made available by Bassim H. Petros

The Music Institute was established in 1936. It was then when music lovers began to meet at the Institute to listen to classical music both live and recorded. Five years later, The Music Institute was renamed the Institute of Fine Arts whereby a Chamber Orchestra formulated. The Orchestra,which consisted of string instruments, gave its first performance in 1941.

It was conducted by Hanna Petros at the Royal College of Medicine.In 1948, The Baghdad Philharmonic Society was founded in affiliation with the Institute of Fine Arts. This Society, then, formed the Baghdad Philharmonic Orchestra, which was composed of volunteers. The Orchestra gave three performances; two in Baghdad at the hall of the Institute of Fine Arts and at the King Faisal Hall, and a third in Kerkuk (North of Iraq).

In 1959 during the leadership of Prime Minister Abdul Karim Qasim, the Orchestra became officially known as the IRAQI National Symphony Orchestra (INSO). It was then when it became an official-paid Orchestra and continued so to this day.

To be continued......................

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4. Inquiry about Middle Eastern Composers[Please respond to Nabil Azzam directly regarding his inquiry and CC it to our address, so that we share the information with the list.]"

Greetings: I wonder if you have any printed material regarding symphonic works by composers from the Middle East. I am very much interested in the subject since I work with Mesto (an orchestra based in Los Angeles) Best, Nabil Azzam" Azzamv@aol.com

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5. Announcement by George Michael.

Looking for a voice private tutor in Massachusetts. Pleaseforward my announcement to other music lists which youknow of.If you or someone you know who is a professional voice tutor, please forward your/their contact information to George at Georgemichael1956@hotmail.com

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The INSO Writing/Editing Team:

Munir Allahwerdi, Clarinet Player (INSO) [Austria]

Munther J. Hafeth, Composer, Musician (INSO) [IRAQ]

Nahla Jajo, Violinist (INSO) [IRAQ]

Andrew Jones, Violinist, Journalist [South Africa]

Salem A. Kareem, Composer & Oud player [UAE]

Beatrice Ohanessian, Composer, Pianist (INSO) [USA]

Bassim Hanna Petros, Cellist, Music Critic (INSO) [New Zealand]

Wafaa' Al-Natheema, List Moderator & Concert Tour Organizer [USA]

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INSO Monthly Newsletter

October 26, 2001
Episode 1

(*_*) (*_*) (*_*) (*_*) (*_*)

In this episode:
1. Remarks by Bassim H. Petros [Writing/Editing (W/E) Team]
2. Article by Munir Allahwerdi [W/E Team]
3. Announcement by George Michael [Subscriber]
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1. Remarks on the INSO and Classical Music for Brainstorming
by Bassim H. Petros

The objective of the writing team for the INSO list is to introduce the Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra's history, music and activities. In doing so, I would like to point out the following:

1. There is no western symphonic music in musicology; this type of music is unique. Therefore it’s sufficient to refer to it as symphonic music.

2. The INSO was the fruit of collaboration, it did not materialize due to a single person's initiative.

Should we seek to lay a case study about the INSO, I would suggest:

1 Few lines of INTRODUCTION: Symphonic Music in Iraq.

2 The Role of the Music Institute (1936 – 1940) in the formation of Classical Music Groups (Bands, smaller groups, solo players, etc.),

3 The founding stone of the first (string) orchestra introduced by the Fine Arts Institute before 1946, which presented its very first, but only one, concert at the Royal College of Medicine in
Baghdad (according to available documentation).

4 Then reaching the solid phase starting from the Baghdad Philharmonic Society (as an orchestra comprised of volunteers), to the Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra as an official-paid orchestra, which is still so to this very day.

Musically, we need to focus on the literature presented by
the INSO, including Iraqi and Arabic music specially composed
and presented by the Orchestra.
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2. THE IRAQI NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA/1946-1951
A Personal Account
By Munir Allahwerdi

Munir, for heaven´s sake let us stop this “Monkey Business” (somehow some friends took me as a focal point in matter related to the Orchestra.)

With countless number of complaints, I was asked by friends at the Fine Arts Institute to leave them alone and refrain from persuading them to come to an orchestral rehearsal. They complained because I was putting them on the spot; making a difficult choice of either saying NO to a noble idea or agreeing to continue with the frustration of having to come to rehearsals without the basic ingredients of an orchestra. Eligible players for certain instruments
did not even exist in Iraq and recruiting them from abroad by the Government was not financially feasible. No real orchestra was in sight.

But we don´t have an oboe player! "Well," I said, "I can play the solo oboe part on my clarinet when the clarinet part is not so important and it could be easily sacrificed." The idea was to
introduce symphonic music live to the Iraqi public which was unavailable to them. By symphonic, I mean orchestral diversity; strings, woodwinds, brass and precessions. Who would care if instead of oboe a theme is played on the clarinet? So I would play the opening themes in both movements of Schubert´s Unfinished Symphony on the clarinet instead of oboe and when
that should be followed by the solo clarinet, it is me again on the clarinet itself.

But we don´t have a Bassoon player! "Come on fellows, that is very easy," I said, "I will play the Bassoon solo opening passage for Haydn´s Symphony "The Clock" on the lower register of my clarinet which sound´s quite like Bassoon." I also told them that there is no need to worry anymore. The army has just discharged a player from its Royal Guards Band into retirement and we could hire him for the job at the Institute as an “Office Boy”. He plays the Euphonium (a small Tuba). He shall be able to play the Bassoon parts on the
Euphonium. "Just be patient!"

But you, Munir, are doing all of this in order to enjoy the opportunity to play all the solo passages and have us the string players accompany you one viola player concluded. Of course I enjoyed playing the solo parts. Why do we play music anyway? By then, a glimpse of hope for real woodwind players to join us appeared on the horizon. During my coffee breaks while working as an engineer at the British firm Stephen Lynch, I visited my friend Arshak who had a tailoring shop on Rasheed Street. In that shop, a man sitting quietly on a chair busy mending holes in used clothes, was introduced to me as a talented flute player. His name was
Dikran Kousoudjian. I proposed that he comes to our next rehearsal. He was grateful for the pleasure of playing and didn't mind that it was compensation free. Dikran turned out to be an excellent professional musician (Flutist) who, according to rumors, fled Cyprus to hide in Iraq. With Dikran, the orchestra got a quantum jump ahead.

In a similar way, I enlisted a Spanish contrabass player named Valieri who was a music Academy graduate from Madrid playing with a cabaret band temporarily stationed in Baghdad. He played with us for about a year for free. Both of us used to ride my old Packard car to go to rehearsals. He left Iraq with his Band at the expiration of their residence permit leaving behind his instrument and his pupil, myself, whom he taught also free of charge. We gave him a thank-you gift of 20 Iraqi Dinars for the instrument. The money came from our subscriptions to the
Baghdad Philharmonic Society of which I was the Secretary.

I played the contrabass for nearly a year until my good friend and a keen follower of the development of the orchestra, Jawad Selim, decided to act. His wife, Lorna, was already playing second violin occupying the chair next to Fuad Michu. Fuad was always the leader of the second violin section because he was the most reliable in that group with regard to keeping time. Jawad Salim, who was aware of my long term plans to leave Iraq to study abroad, wanted to secure a contrabass player to replace me. Since he played the guitar, we decided that I give him lessons on the contrabass. He learned quickly and did not waste time. We wanted to share our pleasant experiences with our friends and the society. We believed the most effective way would be to have them witness a live symphonic concert, and we did indeed succeed in converting people to music lovers.

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3. Announcement by George Michael:
Looking for a voice private tutor in Massachusetts. Lessons
must take place in the evenings and/or the weekends.
If you or someone you know who is a professional voice tutor,
please forward your emails to George at:
Georgemichael1956@hotmail.com

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The INSO Writing/Editing Team:
Munir Allahwerdi, Clarinet Player (INSO) [Austria]
Munther J. Hafeth, Musician (INSO) [IRAQ]
Nahla Jajo, Violinist (INSO) [IRAQ]
Andrew Jones, Journalist, Violinist [South Africa]
Salem A. Kareem, Composer & Oud player [UAE]
Bassim Hanna Petros, Cellist, Music Critic (INSO) [New Zealand]
Wafaa' Salman, List Moderator & Concert Tour Organizer [USA]

(*_*)****(*_*)

The Writing/Editing Team
Biography
As of September 2001

Salem Abdel Kareem, United Arab Emerites (UAE)Born in Baghdad in 1953. Mr. Abdel Kareem is a graduate of theCenter for Musical Studies. He is a Oud player, composerand teacher. Since 1976, he has been given solo performances inside and outside of Iraq. Salem accompaniedthe Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra (INSO) on the Oudin 1976, 1980 and 1993. He is a composer of more than 250 musical pieces. He established several music groupsincluding the Oud Ensemble, which was comprised of 48Oud players. His last position before leaving IRAQ was Dean of the Center of Musical Studies. He currently lives,composes and teaches in the UAE.
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Munir Allahwerdi, [Former INSO Musician] Austria
Born in Basra, Iraq in 1926. Joined the Fine Arts Institute in Baghdad in October 1942. Performed in many chamber music and orchestral concerts in Iraq as well as on radio and TV from 1945 and on mainly as solo clarinetist and sometimes as contrabassist. Created the first clarinet class and taught the instrument at the Fine Arts Institute. Graduated as civil engineer from the Engineering College and as clarinetist from the Fine Arts Institute in Baghdad 1948. Earned Master's of Science from the State Univercity of Iowa. Worked as the head of the Arab States unit at the UN Financing System for Science and Technology for Development 1980-1985. In 1985, Munir retired in Vienna where he formed a group of chamber music players from various well-known orchestras and performed in Vienna and in Finland.
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Munther J. Hafeth, [Current INSO Musician] IRAQ
Born in Baghdad, in 1933. He completed his musical studies at the Fine Arts Institute in Baghdad in 1955. Mr Hafeth joined the Viola section of the Institute Orchestra in 1949. He was one of the founding members of the Hydn String Quartet. Munther proceeded with higher musical training in UK in 1950s. With Bassim Petros, he foundedthe program [World of Music] which aired weekly on Baghdad TV.From 1974 to 1992, he was vice president of the Iraqi National Music Committee of the International Music Council (IMC)He is a member and administration director of the Arab Academy of Music (AMA) of the Arab League and an editorial member of the Arab Music Magazine of the AMA. Mr. Hafeth was leading composer throughout the lst three decades of the 20's century.
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Nahla A. Jajo, [Current INSO Musician] IRAQ
Born in Kirkuk, north of Iraq in 1970. Started her music studiesat the Music and Ballet School in Baghdad at the age of six. She received a diploma in music from the same school in 1988. Began playing violin with the Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra in 1992. Nahla has been teaching the violin at the Music and Ballet School since 1994. A member of the Somer Chamber Music from 1994 to 1998 and currently a member of the Baghdad Music Group. In 1991, she obtained a B.S. in architectural engineeringfrom Baghdad University in Iraq. Worked with several architectural engineering firms in Iraq and Jordan. Currently, she is workingin interior design in Baghdad as an independent contractor.
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Andrew P. Jones, South Africa
Born in Virginia, USA in 1952. He is a graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music and Boston University. As a violinist, Mr. Jones has performed with the Opera Company of Boston, the National Philharmonic Orchestra, the String Reunion in New York, The New Hampshire Symphony andothers. He has also performed with famous artists including Stevie Wonder, Lena Horne, Lou Rawls, Tom Jones, Gladys Knight and the Pips and Sammy Davis Jr. A highlight of Andrew's musical career was a 1991 invitation to perform with the Baghdad Chamber Ensemble at the Saddam Arts Centre in Baghdad. He has been a broadcast journalist covering news for ABC, NBC, the BBC, WDR German Television, The Canadian Broadcast Company and other networks in S. Africa and Russia. Currently, he works as a filmmaker and a guest lecturer in Johannesburg, South Africa.
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Bassim H. Petros, [Former INSO Musician] New Zealand
Born in Baghdad in 1934. Joined the Fine Arts Institute in Baghdad in 1947 to study 'Cello under Sherrif Muhi_ddin Haydar (Turkish), Hagob Kouyoumidjian (Iraqi) and Adres Taurrer (French) Joined the Baghdad Philharmonic (INSO later on) in 1948 as a Cellist. Established and presented with Munther J. Hafeth the-first-of-its-kind Baghdad TV weekly program (The World of Music). Bassim is a member of the Iraqi National Music Committee (INMC), the International Music Council (Unesco), the Arab Academy of Music (of the Arab States League) and the Iraqi Artists Union. Bassim has been part of Arab music festivals, conferences and rostras. For five years, he worked at the National Music Conservatory in Amman as Cello and Contrabass teacher and as a member of its orchestra and band.
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Wafaa' Al-Natheema, The United States of America (USA)

Wafaa' Al-Natheema is the moderator of the INSO email list. For more on her credentials, visit http://wafaasportfolio.blogspot.com