Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra

The Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra (INSO) (Arabic,فرقة الأوركسترا السمفونية القومية العراقية) is a government funded symphony orchestra in Baghdad. The INSO plays primarily classical European music, as well as original compositions based on Iraqi and Arab instruments and music.

The orchestra began as the independent Baghdad Philharmonic Orchestra in 1948. [web cite|url=http://insonewsletter.blogspot.com/2006/07/inso-e-newsletters-episodes-i-to-3.html|title=INSO Monthly Newsletter, November, 2001|accessdate=2006-10-02] 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 Russia, Algeria, Lebanon and Jordan cite news|url=http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/1212-04.htm|title=The Sweet Sound of Propaganda|publisher=The Independent|date=2003-12-12] , 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, the orchestra performed a concert in Baghdad in June 2003 and subsequently traveled through northern Iraq, recruiting new members. Representative of the diversity of Iraq, its 63 musicians now include Shi'a, Sunni, Kurds, Armenians, Assyrian Christians, and Turkomen, as well as four women. [cite web|url=http://www.cpa-iraq.org/pressreleases/20031209_Dec9_Iraq_Symphony.html|title=President Bush, Secretary Powell welcome Iraqi musicians to Kennedy Center|author=Phyllis McIntosh|accessdate=2009-10-04|publisher=Coalition Provisional Authority]

In December 2003, the orchestra performed a joint concert with the U.S. National Symphony Orchestra and Yo-Yo Ma at the Kennedy Center in Washington, co-sponsored by the U.S. State Department. President and Mrs. George W. Bush attended the concert, and Colin Powell introduced the orchestra. [cite web|url=http://www.state.gov/secretary/former/powell/remarks/2003/27013.htm|title=Remarks at Performance of Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra|date=2003-12-09|author=Colin Powell]

The INSO is currently managed and conducted by Karim Wasfi.

References

* (audio)
* (video)

External links

* [http://65.113.70.41/cc_gallery/?id=3 CultureConnect photographs from the Kennedy Center concert]
* [http://www.matthewguilford.com/article_national.htm National Symphony/Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra Joint Concert, December 9, 2003] , Matthew Guilford, member of the U.S. National Symphony
* [http://www.greekworks.com/content/index.php/weblog/extended/the_sweet_sweet_sound_ofwhat_exactly_the_iraqi_national_symphony_orchestra_/ The Sweet, Sweet Sound of…What, Exactly?: The Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra Goes to Washington] , Anastasia Tsioulcas