The Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra began as the Baghdad Symphony Orchestra in 1944. It performed for approximately two years and was disbanded after Albert Chaffoo left Iraq and returned to London to continue his musical career. Many members of the former Baghdad Symphony later formed the future Iraqi National Symphony The orchestra became officially known as the Iraqi National Symphony in 1959 when it began to receive a salary from the government. The INSO was abolished by the Iraqi Minister of Culture in 1962 and rehearsed underground until 1970, when it was re-established. Over the next ten years, the Orchestra toured France, Spain, Algeria, Lebanon and Jordan, and hosted guest musicians and conductors from many countries. But during the 1980s and 1990s many musicians, plagued by financial hardship, left the country to pursue opportunities elsewhere. Although its home theater was burned by looters during the April

2003 invasion of Baghdad Battle of Baghdad, also known as the Fall of Baghdad, was a military battle that took place in Baghdad in early April 2003, as part of the invasion of Iraq. Three weeks into the invasion of Iraq, Coalition Forces Land Component Command elem ...

, the orchestra performed a concert in Baghdad in June 2003 and subsequently traveled through northern Iraq, recruiting new members. In December 2003, the orchestra performed a joint concert with the U.S.

National Symphony Orchestra The National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) is an American symphony orchestra based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1930, its principal performing venue is the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. It also performs for the annual National Mem ...

and Yo-Yo Ma at the Kennedy Center in Washington, co-sponsored by the

U.S. State Department The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs of other nati ...

. President

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...

and First lady

Laura Bush Laura Lane Welch Bush (''née'' Welch; born November 4, 1946) is an American teacher, librarian, memoirist and author who was First Lady of the United States from 2001 to 2009. Bush previously served as First Lady of Texas from 1995 to 2000. ...

attended the concert, and

Colin Powell Colin Luther Powell ( ; April 5, 1937 – October 18, 2021) was an American politician, statesman, diplomat, and United States Army officer who served as the 65th United States Secretary of State from 2001 to 2005. He was the first African ...

introduced the orchestra. The INSO is currently managed and conducted by Karim Wasfi.

Members

Representative of the diversity of Iraq, its 90+ musicians now include Shi'a, Sunni, Kurds, Turkoman, Armenians and Christians, as well as six women, one of whom is the first American woman to join in the history of the orchestra. Due to rising sectarian divisions in Iraq some musicians sit away from each other at rehearsals.

Famous attendees

Aida Nadeem Aida Nadeem ( ar, عايدا نديم; born 1965 in Baghdad, Iraq) is an Iraqi musician living in Denmark. Early career As a child, Aida, began to sing, dance and write poetry. With interest in classical music, at the age of twelve, she began ...

References

* (audio) * (video)

External links

CultureConnect photographs from the Kennedy Center concert

Matthew Guilford, member of the U.S. National Symphony
The Sweet, Sweet Sound of…What, Exactly?: The Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra Goes to Washington
, Anastasia Tsioulcas {{Authority control Iraqi musical groups Iraqi orchestras National orchestras Musical groups established in 1944 1944 establishments in Iraq