It all started when my proposal was chosen for a residency program in La Cite Musical de Saintes, back in 2022 in the Abbaye aux Dames beautiful historical site.
There, I met Louis Verchere, the french Horn professor at the conservatory of Saintes, and through my master classes with his students, and several discussions with him (how to not mention our delicious dinner in the village), he discovered my work for french Horn, which back then, was including the french horn concerto opus 9,  ” A Tune for Amer’s Horn” Opus 10, and the two horn trio opus 11A and 11B. and during one of our meeting, he expresses his willingness to write an article about my French Horn work for the French Horn Society Magazine, and after a while, he sends me the interview questions, and not surprisingly, the article was published later.

After several weeks of publishing the article, I received a message from another french horn player, Benoît de Barsony, president of AFC (Association Francaise du cors), asking about my new piece “six Variations in the Arabic style” opus 13I, for solo french horn, to be performed (by the way soon!) by one of his students, and showing his interest in my music, and then connected me with Mr. Tchamkerten who ordered my complete catalog for the Haute Ecole de Musique de Genève library!

And now, my french horn music is available in their library for all the students/ professors/ performers of the Haute Ecole de Musique de Genève!

All my works for French Horn are available through my website! go and have a look!

For solo microtonal trumpet in Bb – ca. 7’30

Happy to announce the YouTube premiere of “The Sama’I Aqsaq Dance” ( رقصة السماعي أقصاق) beautifully recorded by Vasilis Nalbantis and mastered by Charbel Bark.

Bellow some words about the piece.

“The Sama’i Aqsaq Dance ” is a piece for solo microtonal trumpet in Bb, based on the traditional ancient Arabic rhythm called “Sama’i Aqsaq”, that was used in old Arabic tribes to make horses and camels dance by their Arab riders.

The rhythm consists of a 9/8 meter that gives the music a moving forward feeling, combined with some of the most expressive Arabic modes (Maqamat), that has a bright and festive mood, though suitable sometimes for dance and fast movement.

The piece used the trumpet as a melodic instrument to call the ancient Arab world, using some microtonal elements that come from the nature of Arabic maqam music and also used as a percussion instrument to introduce the Sama’i Aqsaq rhythm and the camel dance spirit.

Starting with a “Mawwal”- a group of small improvised melodic phrases that Arabic singers used to start with it their performances – in which we can hear the trumpet player sing on the instrument while playing it.

Then, moving along to introduce the rhythmic elements using some of the most percussive techniques on trumpet, and gradually adding the melodic elements, in addition to the clear rhythmic accent that keeps the “Aqsaq” pulse alive.

This collection of four short concert pieces for beginners is intended to introduce the new musicians, as well as the audience, to the world of Arabic music in a fun and enjoyable way, and is designed to make the ensemble practice easy and productive.

Every piece introduces a scene from Arabic folklore, inviting the little musicians to discover the beauty of Arabic traditions and cultures. In some pieces, the musicians will be asked to perform some simple body percussion, and say some Arabic words, which will add some magic to the music!

The first piece titled “Dabkeh” is a traditional Levantine dance that is still performed at weddings and public events in Arabic countries, in which the dancers hold their hands together and form a circle showing a scene of solidarity and unity. It is a high-energy dance that demands a great amount of physical effort and is usually performed by both men and women.

The second piece takes us to a very special period for Arab people, called “Ramadan”. For a complete month, people enjoy gathering for the “Iftar” when the sun sets, after long fasting, then attending public events, and organizing cultural gatherings. The third piece is titled “Raqsa”, which means simply “A Dance”.

The Arabic dance, mainly performed by a female dancer, is full of energy and beauty. Usually accompanied by hand clapping and percussion instruments, and sometimes singing too.

The fourth piece takes us to the traditional Arabic wedding ceremonies, which sometimes continue for more than 5 consecutive days. At an Arabic traditional wedding, all the village gathers in the bride’s or groom’s home, participating in all the details of the preparations for the wedding, bringing food and gifts, and celebrating joyfully with music, songs, and dances.

As a part of THREE WINDS by THE ARC PROJECT, the piece ARAB-BORESCENT SYMMETRY for wind trio (Flute, Oboe, and Clarinet in Bb) was premiered by the amazing Anna Palko (Flute), Desmond Clarke (Oboe), and Sapphire Littler (Clarinet), and streamed live through the Arc Project’s social media pages and YouTube Channel.

The aim of this project is to explore the versatility of woodwind instruments by creating a new piece based on artwork by Desmond Clarke that incorporates contemporary techniques. Each composer was assigned to a woodwind trio (three groups of varying combinations of woodwind instruments).

“Arab-borescent Symmetry” is a piece for a wind trio (Flute, Oboe, and Clarinet in Bb), based on an artwork titled “Arborescent symmetry” by Desmond Clarke. While this artwork shows a perfect symmetry for a growing tree, the music in this piece takes this symmetry and transforms it into a more realistic one, reflecting how our balance is always disturbed by unwanted sounds, and how our consciousness grows to mirror our life events and the experiences we live. The music uses instruments and modern technics to imitate some of the Arabic music elements, such as traditional rhythms and Maqamat, and set a mood for a traditional Arabic countryside. 

Artwork: Arborescent Symmetry by Desmond Clarke

Happy to share with you the premiere of my piece “A TUNE FOR AMER’S HORN” for French Horn, Piano, and Double Bass, which was premiered on May 6, 2022, by the International Contemporary Ensemble at the 2022 MATA Festival, at National Sawdust in Brooklyn, New York.

Dedicated to my friend Amer Slim, this 12 minutes piece includes an introduction and four consecutive acts, inspired by the historical sound of the horn used as a calling instrument during hunting trips, this piece describes the effect of the Horn sound on the prey’s psychological state during different situations that the prey can live while being chased. Through several extended technics that the modern French horn can deliver, the composer recalls the elements of the Arabic “Maqam” world and the traditional Arabic dance rhythms, including microtonal intervals, and pushes the performer to discover new sounds and colors on the instrument.

Wil Dannenberg (French Horn)
Kyle Motl (double bass)
Wilden Dannenberg (piano)

Musicians from the International Contemporary Ensemble

About Mata Festival 2022
May 6, 2022, @ 7:30PM
National Sawdust | Brooklyn, NY
From solo to quartet, this was a night of small ensembles with no electronic assistance. Each composer showed what is possible with the manipulation of acoustics and instrumental physics, defying visual expectations and embracing the beauty of compositional imagination.
IN THE PROGRAM:
Christian Dimpker: N. 11 (String Quartet 1)
Francisco del Pino: Un pez dorado
Shuyu Lin: In a Station of the Metro
John Aulich: Green, or Beautiful in Green
Travis LaPlante: The Obvious Place
Piyawat Louilarpprasert: Double Shuttering Sprinters
Wajdi Abou Diab: A Tune for Amer’s Horn

FEATURING:
International Contemporary Ensemble & Travis LaPlante, sax

As a part of the NAFAS program (LA RESIDENCE D’ARTISTES ET PROFESSIONNELS DE LA CULTURE LIBANAIS), I was invited to spend three weeks in the Abbaye Aux Dames in the beautiful city of Saintes – France.
During this residency period of three weeks (10 – 30 April), I was planning to work on my “Arabic Vertical Poems” for solo piano, which is a project that links measured Arabic poetry with modern contemporary Arabic music, to set a link between language and music, literature and abstraction, past and present, and to reflect an echo of the ancient musical rhythm in the classical Arabic language, as well as to develop the Arabic music through elements from the classical Arabic language and the rhythms of its poetry.
This project blends the richness of the old Arabic language and the rhythm of its poems, with the music of the modern age and its powerful tools of expression.
You can read all the details about this project here.

The residency started with a small tour through the historical site of the Abbaye, with a Sonore tour in which I learned many interesting facts and stories about the great history of this place, and how the music was from its beginning a great part of the daily life of the people living in this place.
One great phrase that stuck to my mind during this tour, and that I still remember very clearly, and that’s because it is true, is:

“Ici, les murs chantent!”

I was lucky to have Saintes’ conservatory in the same building as my room, I was living on the first floor, and the conservatory was on the third and fourth! and that was a great opportunity to meet with the professors and students of the conservatory.

And from these meetings, I mention some:
Master class with the french horn students of professor Louis Verchere, in which I listened to the student’s performances, gave my thought on their performances and explained the Arabic Maqam world and the performance techniques related. And after I exchanged some of my music for french horn with Mr. Verchere, especially the two Horn trios opus 11 for horn, piano, and violin, “A tune for Amer’s Horn” for horn, piano, and double bass, and my Horn Concerto “Wilada, Fa Kifah”, Louis decided to write an article about my music and I for the French Horn Society website, in which I answered all their questions about my music, my background, and how I write specifically for the french horn.
I was very happy to receive the recording of one of my pieces (Dabket El 2020) performed by Louis after he downloaded the score from my website!

Master class with the Saxophone students of Professor Aline Cotta, in which they performed the piece “Coucou Bab Boujloud” de jean Charles Richard and I gave my remarks including some detailed explanation of the Hijazkar Makam, on which the piece is built, and the Andalusian music, especially the “Mouwashahat” and the traditional Arabic rhythms as “Dawr Hendi”, “Sama’i Thaqil” and others.

A meeting with the Piano/Composition students of professor Remy Martin, in which I explained the importance of the composer identity, and present a brief introduction to the Arabic music for composers, then we had some improvisation exercises of specific Arabic rhythms and maqams in which the students by turn improvised on the piano with Mr. Remy and I offering the accompaniment.
At the end, we exchanged the contact information, and professor Remy presented some of his compositions/ arrangements for the piano, I presented to him my project for the solo piano pieces and gifted him a copy of my book “Arabic Folk Tunes” for solo piano to use with his students as an introduction to the Arabic music.
And I am happy to receive after one week of my residency a piece composed by one of the students that attended this master class asking for my feedback!

A workshop with the junior orchestra in the “Ici – làbà”, in which we improvised some basic Arabic rhythms and introduced the kids to the oriental music world.

A workshop with the concert band directed by Professor Ludovic Bougouin, starting with a general introduction to the Arabic Maqam world, then trying some traditional Arabic rhythms and giving some guidelines for the Arabic Taqassim, in which I explained the three steps of the Taqassim, and the importance of the musician’s creativity and imagination in the improvisation, and ending by performing a short piece composed especially for this occasion, titled “Ludovic L’Oriental”, designed to introduce the youth musicians to the oriental music world, and to give space for improvisation on the rhythm of “Wehda Kabira” and “Masmoudi Saghir”, following two Maqams titled “Hijazkar” and “Bayati”.

One of the most distinguished musicians I have met during my residency in Saintes, was the organist and organ professor in the Saintes conservatory, Cédric Burgelin.
Cédric presented me to the pipe organ of the  Saint-Pierre cathedral of Saintes, explained a lot about the history of this special instrument and how it works, and offered me the access to spend some time with this beautiful instrument, which resulted in the birth of “Priere Oriental“, a piece for solo organ that I included in Opus 13, which is a series of solo pieces that introduce the western instrument to the Arabic music world. And just four days after I finished the piece, we created an audio/film recording of the piece in the Cathedral’s organ, in which Cedric performed the piece after transforming my remarks at the beginning of the piece into a very beautiful complex registration that works amazingly on Saintes’ organ!
The premiere of the piece will take place during Cedric’s upcoming concert on 28 May in the same cathedral.

Note that after I gifted him my book “Arabic Folk Tunes” for solo piano, Cedric asked me to transcribe some of the pieces in this book for organ, a project that I am very excited to work on when I have the time and fund needed to make it possible.
And I can’t be more grateful for the valuable gift from Cédric: his four organ albums recording!

one more meeting I did with the choirmaster Gilles Guenard who invited me to attend one of his rehearsals with Saintes amateurs choir, and it was an amazing experience!
And after they expressed how they’d like to try to sing in Arabic, I arranged for them a traditional Palestinian folk song titled “Yomma Mwel l Hawa” for SATB (with optional piano accompaniment), and I am excited to see how a french choir sings Arabic music!

And as an ending to those great three weeks, one more meeting with the Afghani Poet/writer “Aman Yoyamek” happened in the last days of my residence, which resulted in the birth of a collaboration project in which I will be writing the music for one of his Afghani Opera scene, a project that we hope to grow to cover a whole multi-language opera production!

Three weeks in the Abbaye Aux Dames weren’t enough to discover all the opportunities and chances hiding in this wonderful place, but for sure it was enough to have a vacation of musical creation, productivity, collaborations, and to introduce the music professors and students, and the French public, to the Arabic contemporary music, as well as a great chance to meet the wonderful staff of the Cite musicale, with whom I look forward to more future projects.

Check my residency on the Abbaye Aux Dames’s website calendar here

Check post by Conservatoire de Musique et de Danse de Saintes here

“Arabic Piano Vertical Poems ” is a set of 16 piano pieces that link measured Arabic poetry with modern contemporary Arabic music, to set a link between language and music, literature and abstraction, past and present, and to reflect an echo of the ancient musical rhythm in the classical Arabic language, as well as to develop the Arabic music through elements from the classical Arabic language and the rhythms of its poetry.
A project that blends the richness of the old Arabic language and the rhythm of its poems, with the music of the modern age and its powerful tools of expression.

Honored to receive The Arab Fund for Arts and Culture – AFAC‘s 2022 Music grant program, which will be used to produce my upcoming album “Vertical Poems” for piano.
“Vertical Poems for Piano” is a 16-track piano album that attempts to link the metered verse of classical Arabic poetry with contemporary musical composition. At a compositional process level, the project will take 16 classical poems as a starting point, distilling and then extracting the rhythm of recitation, before plotting them onto the piano, rendering it an “Arabic instrument.” These piano works will be played by Ramzi Hakim. 

The music elements in AL ‘Aroud science (علم العروض)

The first part consists of profound research on the 16 vertical forms of Khalil bin Ahmed Al-Farahidi (البحور الشعرية الستة عشر), that cover 16 forms ( وزن – بحر ) through which the classical Arabic poems were written.

The ‘Aroud science

Al-Khalil bin Ahmad Al-Farahidi Al-Azdi Al-Basri, was one of the nation’s greatest genius scholars, and the first to think about preserving the Arabic language. He composed a dictionary titled “Al-Ain” ( العين ) and was the first to control words by inventing dots and shapes.
Al-Khalil studied Arabic poetry and found that the weights used in it were 15 forms. Then after, Al Akhfash increased the number to 16 by adding “Al Moutadarak” form.

Heartbeat and poetry’s rhythm

In some research, scientists link the rhythm of poetry with the heartbeat, which doctors estimate in a healthy person as 76 times per minute, and they see a close connection between the heartbeat and what the vocal system does, and its ability to utter a number of syllables. They estimate that a person in normal conditions can pronounce three-syllable sounds every time his heart beats one beat.

The relation between the form of the Arabic vertical poems and their subject

Al-Taweel (الطويل) is a vast form that comprehends what other meanings cannot comprehend and accommodates pride, enthusiasm, metaphors, descriptions, narrations of incidents, and recording news.
AL-Bassit (البسيط) is close to Al-Tawil, but it does not have the capacity to comprehend the meanings, and it is not soft enough to deal with structures and words. On the other hand, he is more gentle and generous.
Al-Kamel (الكامل) complete the seven forms, and they called it complete, because it is suitable for every type of poetry, and that is why it was used a lot in the words of the ancients and the moderns, and it is better in news than in construction, and closer to severity than to tenderness, and from it the two Mo’alaqas (معلّقة) of Antara and Labid, and it can become a discotheque singer, and it had a tone that provoked passion.
Al-Wafer (الوافر) is the softest of the forms, it becomes firm when you tighten it, and it softens when you soften it, and the most generous of the systems in pride is like the Mo’alaqa (معلّقة) of Amr bin Kulthum, and in it, there are generous elegies, and there are many of them in the poetry of the ancients and the moderns.
Al-khafif (الخفيف) is the lightest of the forms in character, and the thickest for hearing, it resembles Al-Wafer, but it is easier and more harmonious. It is easy and abstained, because the structured speech in it is close to prose, and it can express all meanings, and from it is the Mo’alaqa (معلّقة) of Al-Harith bin Halza Al-Yashkari.
ِAl-Ramal (الرمل) is the form of ​​tenderness, so its rhythms are good in sorrows and joys, and that is why the Andalusians used it a lot and brought out various types of Muwashahat (الموشحات) from it, and it is not used so much in pre-Islamic poetry. Despite this, Antara used it with something of enthusiasm, and Al-Harith Al-Yashkari has a descriptive news poem in this form.
Al-Sari’ (السريع) is a form that flows smoothly and sweetly, in which descriptions and expressions of emotions are excellent, and yet it is used very little in pre-Islamic poetry.
Al-Mouqareb (المتقارب) is a form in which there is a resonance and a melody of a manly intensity, and it is better for violence than for kindness.
Al-Mohdath (المحدث) or AL-Moutadarek of the Akhfash (متدارك الاخفش) is a form that they called the trotting, in analogy to the trotting of a horse. It is only suitable for a joke, a tune, or something similar to describe an army march, rain sound, or a weapon sound.
Al-Rajaz (الرجز), is a form called “the donkey of poetry” because of the ease of using it, and it was the choice of all the scholars who organized the scientific texts.

Arabic Piano Vertical Poems

This project is a musical work consisting of 16 piano poems, based on the rhythms within the sixteen poetic forms of Khalil bin Ahmed Al-Farahidi, by translating the scales and the Tafa’il of the forms, into musical modes and rhythmic figures according to their pulses and lengths, and the translation of the characters of the forms and their ability to express, into musical terms reflecting these expressive personalities, in an attempt to link the history of Arabic literature with the contemporary music, and to develop the Arabic music through pure Arabic elements, and to inspire new ideas from our mother tongue.

The project starts by selecting 16 poems from the Arab literary heritage, written upon the sixteen different forms of al Farahidi, by great Arab poets, such as Al-Mutanabi, Uday bin Zaid, Antara bin Shaddad, Ibn Al-Roumi, Al-Buhtari, and others… in an attempt to extract the rhythm from the forms as they were used initially in the poems, taking into account their skis (زحّافات) and their ills (علل) and all the modifications that occur to the form, to reflect poetic music without distortion, relying on practical literary usages away from theories and theorems.

This will let us extract a rhythm that mimics the origins of the recitation (الخطابة) and that reflects the life of poets in those periods, and that takes into account the spontaneity of the versification, the smoothness of the forms, their connection with the poet’s abilities in rhetoric and recitation, and their interaction with his emotions, feelings, and sincerity of meanings in his poems.

The project also introduces the piano as an Arabic instrument in terms of performance, techniques, and musical language, as the instrument, is used in a way different from what we used to hear historically in classical music so that it searches for a new identity for this instrument by adapting it to play the Arabic maqams and rhythms derived from classical Arabic music.

This part of the project passed through several stages, starting with the selection of 16 poems composed on the 16 forms of Al-Farahidi, then, studying these poems according to the science of Al ‘Aroud, to extract their “Tafa’il” and all that has occurred in terms of scale and rhythm, in addition to analyzing the poems literally to extract the psychological state of the poet at the time of its versification, and the reflection of his life and its events on his poetry.

Studying the Maqamat presentation by Michael Mashaka in his treatise “Al Rissala Al Shahabiya” in which he gives to each maqam a suggested melodic line that we should play to represent the maqam in its best way. These are written in Arabic, as a paragraph, and it is our work to translate these paragraphs into musical phrases. Then associate each poem from the 16 with a presentation from the Mashaka treatise

After that, the composition stage began, and it consist of a composition of 16 piano pieces based on the poems in terms of rhythm, form, and syllables, basically based on the “Tafa’il” of the form as studied in the poems, taking into account the character of the form, the poet and the circumstances in which the poem was written, and the meanings it bears.

All of these elements will be reflected in the selection of the appropriate harmony and mode so that the poem is transformed from a vertical poem into a musical poem for the piano, which presents the original Arabic poetry in an Abstract Musical Arabic language with a contemporary taste that reflects our present.

I was pleased to be a guest of Dc. Fida’a Soubaiti, on her program hosted by the “Forum für Kunst- und Kulturgeschichte Transnational“, on Wednesday, March 30.
After a small introduction by Dc. Fida’a about me and my background, I started with a presentation about my project The Lebanese Living Composers Channel, then Free Music Education for all initiative, then passed by CBCLEB and Orchestra AL Mokhayam, a beautiful youth orchestra that I founded in Choueifat and Borj Al Shemali Palestinian camp respectively.
The second part of my presentation was concentrated on my career as a composer and arranger, and taking a journey discovering the last musical compositions, awards, and projects, and what coming next including premieres, releases, and others.
The last part of the interview was full of discussion with the attendances around music topics and my music inspiration and classification.
Note that the interview was held in the Arabic language, via Zoom, and translated directly by Dc. Fida’a Soubaiti to the German language.

Following a text by Dc.Fida’a Soubaiti

“Wajdi Abu Diab (*1991 Lebanon) is a pianist and composer, as well as one of the youngest and most significant representatives of contemporary Arabic classical music. He has numerous compositions like ‘Crazy for Layla’, Tafa’il’, ‘Screaming from the Arctic Sea’, ‘The Dream Opera’, ‘Tod’s invitation to dinner. He designed various projects such as ‘The Lebanese Living Composers Channel’ and the communal educational program ‘Learn music in Arabic’.

Wajdi Abu Diab goes beyond the concept of musical identity to present the Arab musicianship in an innovative way and a new harmonious arrangement, on the one hand to address the western ear and on the other hand around the j to attract young generation, in which he presents traditional Arabic music in a modern way. Wajdi Abu Diab processed his work without giving up the basic atmosphere or falling into the trap of musical hybridization. In his latest album ‘Tod’s Invitation to Dinner’, he creates a dialogue dynamics between surreal poems and an “extreme” melody that represents a sound image of the gloom of ever-accompanied death.

This extreme relationship reflects a contradiction and attraction between death and life, manifested in the present extreme reality. This one forces the individual to accept what is not acceptable. We embrace the death that lives within us, after that only the option for dialogue and reconciliation and sitting at a table remains. It’s a dialogue with the inside before the outside, it’s the death invitation for dinner!

In this virtual meeting with composer Wajdi Abu Diab, we learn a new and contemporary style of musical composition and bring the theme of modernity in Arabic-oriental music to the table.

The date is the 30th March 2022 at 19:00 Berlin time.

To participate, email info@kunst-kultur-transnational.de. From the end of the day”

About Dc. Fida’a Soubaiti

Born and raised in Lebanon. 2000 Graduated in law and at the same time in music education with a focus on oriental singing in Beirut. In 2005 he moved to Germany and in 2007 began studying art history and musicology at the Heinrich Heine University in Düsseldorf, which ended in 2020 with a doctorate.
Dc. Fida’a’s core competence is imparting knowledge about modern and contemporary art and the cultural history of the 20th century. This is done in German and Arabic, through (online) seminars, exercises, guided tours, artist interviews, and if necessary, explainer videos. My objective is, on the one hand, to impart specialist skills and to expand and deepen what may be required. already acquired theoretical and practical knowledge. On the other hand, I am significantly involved in the educational exchange and the artistic and cultural dialogue between Germany and the Arabic-speaking world.

Check also Dc. Fida’a Soubaiti History of Art and Culture Transnational website (Forum für Kunst- und Kulturgeschichte Transnational), which is a forum for art and culture mediation and advice on a transnational level.

I was pleased to be a part of the online cultural exchange and public dialogue on artistic freedom in Lebanon held by Freemuse and ESA Business School, as a receiver of the “Small changes” mini-grant from Freemuse for my project “Free Music Education For All” in which I presented my project and take a part in the panel discussion.

The event took place on 24 November 2021 at 15:00 – 17:00 CET online.

The open dialogue aimed to define problems artists and cultural workers face and identify possible solutions, suggestions, and related stakeholders.

Thank you for Freemuse for the next video, in which we listen to the grantees of small changes mini-grants briefly introduce their projects.
This is the first clip in the video series that will document the grantees’ creative process and their projects’ development.

From Lebanon:
Wajdi Abou Diab – Music education for all
Bassam Abou Diab – Beiroot Bordies
Art of Change – Underline
Nayzak project – Marhaba artist

From Jordan:
Theadonce for youth – Artvision
Social innovation and creative minds – Sarah Jaloudi
Send me a postcard – Sarah Nowar
Late night thoughts – Ahmad Shehadeh
Peace through movement – Tales of Jordan

From Tunisia:
Elias Fatnassi – Barkoon
Rochdi Belgasmi – I am just an image
my body is no longer mine ATAC – Small Screens
Cite’Ness – Cinema in their eyes
Fanni Raghman Aanni – Walls of Hope

Free Music For All project second season announcement

Useful links
Free Music Education For All web page
Free Music Education For All YouTube playlist
Free Music Education For All Facebook page
Free Music Education For All Instagram profile