- Mohammed Fairouz
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Mohammed Fairouz at work on his second symphony in New York City, 2009.
Mohammed Fairouz (born November 1, 1985) is an Arab American composer.
Having fulfilling many commissions and created a substantial body of frequently performed works, he is considered one of the most sought after composers of the young generation.[1][2] Fairouz began composing at an early age and studied at the New England Conservatory of Music. His teachers included Gunther Schuller, Halim El-Dabh and John Heiss.[3]
Mohammed Fairouz's music is published by Peermusic Classical.[4]
Fairouz lives in the Chelsea, Manhattan neighborhood of New York City.
Contents
Vocal Music
Fairouz first set poems of Oscar Wilde at the age of 7 and has gone on to write hundreds of art songs and over a dozen song cycles.[2][5] In Poets & Writers Magazine, he described himself as being obsessed with text.[5]
Three Fragments of Ibn Khafājah was commissioned by the Cygnus Ensemble[6] and sets poetry by Arab Andalucian poet Ibn Khafajah.
Musicians for Harmony commissioned the song cycle Furia for baritone Randall Scarlata together with the Imani Winds and the Borromeo String Quartet and sets Western texts about the Middle East.[7]
Jeder Mensch, was written for Kate Lindsey with texts set from the diaries of Alma Mahler.[8]
Fairouz has also collaborated extensively with living poets. Bonsai Journal, on texts by Judson Evans, was released on Albany Records.[9]
The Pierrot ensemble, Lunatics at Large commissioned the cycle Unwritten on texts by David Shapiro.[10]
Orchestral Music
Symphonies
Fairouz's Third Symphony Poems and Prayers was commissioned by the Middle East Center for Peace Culture and Development and is cast for solo voices, chorus and orchestra.[11] The Symphony sets the texts of Arab poets such as Fadwa Tuqan and Mahmoud Darwish, the Israeli poet Yehuda Amichai, as well as prayers such as the Aramaic Kaddish.[1]
The final movement of Fairouz's First Symphony Homage to a Belly Dancer is based on an essay by Edward Said about the Egyptian belly dancer Tahia Carioca.[2]
Concertos
Fairouz's Double Concerto for Violin, Cello and orchestra States of Fantasy was commissioned by New York-based orchestra Ensemble 212. It is inspired by Jacqueline Rose's book of the same title and was written for violinist Nicholas Kitchen and cellist Yeesun Kim.[1][2]
Fairouz has also written a clarinet concerto, Tahrir, for David Krakauer. The works takes its title from Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt.[12]
Operas
Sumeida's Song is Fairouz's first opera and is based on the play Song of Death by the Egyptian playwright Tawfiq al-Hakim[13] The opera follows the return of the protagonist Alwan to his Upper Egyptian peasant village, and his attempts to bring modernity to darkness in an effort to break a never ending cycle of violence. The opera also clearly depicts the grave consequences of this pioneering energy.[13]
Fairouz is currently developing his second opera Eichmann in Jerusalem with American Opera Projects. It is based on the Eichmann Trial as documented by Hannah Arendt in her book, Eichmann in Jerusalem.[14]
Chamber and Solo Music
Fairouz's Wind Quintet, written for the Imani Winds is composed in three movements titled March, “Lamentus (for my fallen heros),” and “Dance and Little Song.”[15]
His Lamentation and Satire for string quartet was recorded by the Borromeo String Quartet for release on GM/Living Archive Recordings.[16]
Fairouz has written a Sonata for Unaccompanied Violin for Rachel Barton Pine.[17]
Recordings
- 2008 - Boston Diary (Albany Records TROY1176)
- 2010 - As It Was, Is, and Will Be (GM Recordings GM 2080) by Borromeo String Quartet
References
- ^ a b c Moore, Thomas (September 12, 2010), Mohammed Fairouz: An Interview, Opera Today, retrieved 2011-04-19
- ^ a b c d Rase, Sherri (April 8, 2011), Conversations—with Mohammed Fairouz, [Q]onStage, retrieved 2011-04-19
- ^ Mohammed Fairouz Biography
- ^ Mohammed Fairouz Peermusic Page
- ^ a b Fischer, Shell (March 1, 2011), Poets, Composers Find Sanctuary, Poets & Writers, retrieved 2011-04-19
- ^ Cygnus Ensemble Commissions List
- ^ Musicians for Harmony Homepage
- ^ Hoffman, Gary (September 13, 2011), Kate Lindsey: An Interview, Opera Today, retrieved 2011-04-09
- ^ Albany Records Catalog entry for Boston Diaries, retrieved 2011-04-09
- ^ Lunatics at Large: The Sanctuary Project
- ^ Mohammed Fairouz: Works List 2010
- ^ David Krakauer- Upcoming Shows (2011)
- ^ a b (April 5, 2011),Mohammed Fairouz's Opera Sumeida's Song, retrieved 2011-04-09
- ^ AOP: Eichmann in Jerusalem Project Page
- ^ Imani Winds: Fairouz Quintet Page
- ^ GM Recordings Entry for As It Was, Is, and Will Be, retrieved 2011-04-09
- ^ Rachel Barton Pine- Tour (2011)
External links
Categories:- 1985 births
- American classical composers
- LGBT composers
- Living people
- Opera composers
- New England Conservatory alumni
- 21st-century classical composers
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