Solhi al-Wadi

Solhi Al-Wadi

Solhi al-Wadi Arabic صلحي الوادي, DMG ṣulḥī al-wādī (born February 12, 1934 in Baghdad ; died September 30, 2007 in Damascus ) was an Iraqi musician, conductor, composer, educator and school principal who spent most of his life in Damascus, Syria.

Life

Al-Wadi's father was an Iraqi and his mother was a Jordanian who moved to Damascus as a child. He attended Victoria College, a British boarding school in Alexandria, Egypt. There he learned violin and composing at the local conservatory. In 1953 he was admitted to the Royal Academy of Music in London to continue his music studies.

After completing his studies, Solhi al-Wadi returned to Damascus in 1960. He began to establish serious music as part of the visual arts scene in Syria. In 1962 he founded the Arab Institute for Music and was appointed director. He established and maintained relationships with various countries. For example, he tried to get qualified music teachers from all disciplines and for all instruments from the Soviet Union with the aim of training young people interested in music. In 2004 the Arab Institute for Music was renamed the Solhi al-Wadi Institute .

After years of negotiations with the Syrian Ministry of Culture and other important bodies, he succeeded in opening a university for music and theater in 1990. This enabled musicians, theater students and dancers to study at university without having to go abroad. He was appointed dean at the college. He was also a professor of music history and music education.

At the same time, through al-Wadi's efforts, the Damascus Opera House - Dar Al-Assad for Culture & Arts - was opened. He was particularly proud of the acquisition of a German organ that was specially built for it.

Another success of al-Wadi was the founding of the Syrian National Symphony Orchestra in 1991. His first concert took place that same year under his leadership. The orchestra was very successful. It soon received invitations from many countries, such as Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Spain, Turkey, Germany and the USA. For his part, al-Wadi received many invitations to conduct orchestras in various countries around the world.

In 1995, Solhi al-Wadi conducted his very first opera performance in Syria, Purcell's Dido and Aeneas , which was performed in the ancient Roman amphitheater of Bosra and Palmyra and attracted large audiences.

Solhi al-Wadi's immense obligations, especially his administrative and educational activities, did not leave him much time to compose. All the more, he valued the moments when he pursued the urge to express himself musically. He was determined to contribute to the world of music with all means at his disposal. His works are interpreted by musicians in Syria and other countries. He also got orders for music for Arabic films. But he also became known in the Arab world through his accompanying music. His compositions for the chamber ensembles are among his finest creative works.

Al-Wadi died at home in Damascus on September 30, 2007. He never recovered from a cerebral hemorrhage that he suffered while conducting the Syrian National Orchestra on April 27, 2002.

legacy

He took care of the development of a whole generation of talented young musicians on his own.

His demanding combined roles as educator, director, conductor and world class mass media communicator has not stopped him from continually composing original music and re-orchestrating major traditional folk music for large orchestras and other ensembles.

music

Seven piano pieces (1958–1965)
Fantasy for Two Pianos in B-flat Major (1962)
"Love poem" for string orchestra (1966)
Two pieces for violoncello & piano (?)
Sonata for Violin & Piano No. 1 (1969) (singer score missing)
"Dabké" - dance for symphony orchestra (1970)
String Quartet No. 1 (score missing)
String Quartet No. 2 (1974)
Trio for Piano, Violin & Violoncello, in memory of Dmitri Shostakovich (1975):
Sonata for Violin & Piano No. 2 in A Minor (early 1980s)
Concert opening for symphony orchestra in C major (1987)
Meditation On a Theme by Mhammad Abdel Wahhab "Hayati anta" for symphony orchestra (1992)
Piece "-5" for clarinet in solo (1999)
Song "Die Mumie" for soprano & piano (2000) (poet unknown)
Accompanying music and film music (al-Wadi's creative life encompassing)

Awards

1995 Order of Merit, Syria's highest civilian honor
1999 Honorary Doctorate from Yerevan Komitas State Conservatory (Armenia)
2000 honorary doctorate from the Russian Academy of Sciences
2001 Peter and Paul Medal from Pope John Paul II, during his Millennium Tour visit to Syria

Web links

personal data
SURNAME	Solhi al-Wadi
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Iraqi musician, conductor, composer, educator and school director
DATE OF BIRTH	February 12, 1934
PLACE OF BIRTH	Baghdad
DATE OF DEATH	September 30, 2007
Place of death	Damascus