MAias Alyamani, also spelt Mayas Al Yamani, Alyamani Alyamani (, born 21 March 1981 in

Damascus )), is an adjective which means "spacious". , motto = , image_flag = Flag of Damascus.svg , image_seal = Emblem of Damascus.svg , seal_type = Seal , map_caption = , ...

Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...

) is a

violin The violin, sometimes known as a ''fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone (string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in the family in regular ...

ist and

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

. Further, he is the founder and leader of the Arabic world music group ''MAqam Ensemble'', and a professionally trained classical soloist.

Early life and education

Alyamani was born in

Damascus, Syria )), is an adjective which means "spacious". , motto = , image_flag = Flag of Damascus.svg , image_seal = Emblem of Damascus.svg , seal_type = Seal , map_caption = , ...

, on March 21, 1981. He was born into a musical family; both his parents and his brother are practicing musicians. Alyamani began his formal education playing the violin at the early age of 6, attending the Arabic Institute of Music. He began composing music at the age of 14, developing pieces he often still plays in concert. At 16, he was awarded membership to the Syrian Artist Association after performing two of his solo violin compositions. To this day, he is still the youngest musician to ever be accepted into this organisation. From 1999 to 2004, Alyamani attended the Higher Institute of Music in Damascus, excelling in both classical and Arabic studies. In 2005, he was awarded a scholarship to study at the

University of Music and Performing Arts The University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (german: link=no, Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien, abbreviated MDW) is an Austrian university located in Vienna, established in 1817. With a student body of over three thousa ...

in Vienna, where he received his master's degree in violin performance with special focus on composition.

Competitions

Alyamani was the 2006 Winner of ''Soloist Auswahl'' in Vienna, and participated at the 2001 International Paganini Competition in Italy. He was the first Arab competitor to participate in this competition.

Career

Alyamani started his career as a solo violinist and composer in 2000. He has since performed internationally and worked with artists and orchestras from various genres. As a soloist and conductor, Alyamani has performed his own compositions with symphony orchestras and chamber orchestras. More than 50 of his instrumental compositions have been performed by classical music orchestras, jazz bands, and other ensembles. He has also performed as a soloist of oriental and

contemporary music Contemporary classical music is classical music composed close to the present day. At the beginning of the 21st century, it commonly referred to the post-1945 modern forms of post-tonal music after the death of Anton Webern, and included serial ...

festivals and concerts. He played with

Gidon Kremer Gidon Kremer ( lv, Gidons Krēmers; born 27 February 1947) is a Latvian classical violinist, artistic director, and founder of Kremerata Baltica. Life and career Gidon Kremer was born in Riga. His father was Jewish and had survived the Holoc ...

and the

Kremerata Baltica Kremerata Baltica is a chamber music, chamber orchestra consisting of musicians from Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania). It was founded by Latvian violinist Gidon Kremer in 1997. Gidon Kremer is an artistic director of Kremerata Baltic ...

orchestra, as well as with

Daniel Barenboim Daniel Barenboim (; in he, דניאל בארנבוים, born 15 November 1942) is an Argentine-born classical pianist and conductor based in Berlin. He has been since 1992 General Music Director of the Berlin State Opera and "Staatskapellmeist ...

Dave Pierce Dave Pierce (born October 24, 1972) is a Canadian songwriter, composer, producer and arranger. Pierce was the music director for the opening, closing, and victory ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, for which he received an Emmy ...

, among others. As a composer, his music has been performed at the inauguration ceremony of

Damascus Opera house , native_name_lang = ar , image = Damascus Opera House.jpg , image_size = , image_alt = , caption = Damascus Opera House at the Umayyad Square (2010) , alt = , image_map ...

in 2004 and the opening ceremony of the Pan Arab Games in

Doha Doha ( ar, الدوحة, ad-Dawḥa or ''ad-Dōḥa'') is the capital city and main financial hub of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf coast in the east of the country, north of Al Wakrah and south of Al Khor, it is home to most of the coun ...

2011.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Alyamani, Maias Living people Syrian musicians 1981 births