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Composer | Violinist
Riad Abdel-Gawad
Riad Abdel-Gawad is an Egyptian-American violinist (kaman) and composer based in Brussels. A Harvard-trained PhD, his work practices allogamy — a deep, generative relationship with musical traditions (Egyptian classical, Sufi, contemporary) that allows for creative cross-pollination while remaining rooted in their source. He performs his own compositions and the music of the legendary Egyptian violinist Abdo Dagher (accompanist to Oum Kalsoum). Riad leads several ensembles including the Ziryab Duo and has performed at venues such as Le Senghor, Art Base, and the Chicago World Music Festival. His discography includes three albums, and his music is published by Oxford University Press.
About
Riad Abdel-Gawad is an Egyptian-American violinist (kaman in Arabic), composer, and educator based in Brussels, Belgium. He holds a PhD in composition from Harvard University.
His work bridges Classical, Jazz, Arabic, and Contemporary music. He performs his own compositions as well as the works of the legendary Egyptian violinist and composer Abdo Dagher (1936–2021) , known as the accompanist to Oum Kalsoum. Dagher’s unique Sufi-inspired instrumental music is performed both as written compositions and through freely improvised passages, a tradition Riad carries forward as a long-time collaborator and student of Dagher.
Riad leads several ensembles in Brussels, including the Ziryab Duo (violin and contrabass), a quartet with nay, oud, percussion, and violin, and the Ziryab Jazz Quartet. He has performed at venues such as Art Base, Le Senghor, and the Chicago World Music Festival, and with organizations including the Arab American Museum in Dearborn, the Levantine Cultural Center, and the Carnegie Hall Musical Exchange (where he led an online and live workshop on Egyptian Sufi master musicians).
Harvard-trained, Riad is former Executive Director of the Egyptian Music and Culture Hub, a US-based nonprofit dedicated to educating the public about Egyptian (Arabic) music. He has collaborated with numerous musicians and composers, including Samir Bendimered, Baudouin De Jaer, Tom Johnson, Frédéric Lagnau, Martin Ingenhütt, Abdo Dagher, Khaled Dagher, Jan Rzewski, François Essindi, TJ Troy, Yousri Abdel-Maqsoud, and Mohamed Foda.
Riad was fortunate to attend many of Abdo Dagher’s legendary saharāt (evening sessions) in the Hadayak el-Qobba district of Cairo. He later transcribed Dagher’s maqām method—a complete system of musical exercises, compositions, and improvisations—which has helped numerous accomplished musicians learn this authentically Egyptian music.
His discography includes three albums: El Tarab El Aseel (initially released on the Incognito label of Beirut, later distributed by City Hall Records, San Rafael), Egypt: Mother of the World, and Words of Peace. Three Arab women artists contributed to the album artwork: Ezmeralda, Carelle Homsy, and Behia Shehab.
Riad has been commissioned by the New Music Ensemble of Liège for the Ars Musica Festival in Belgium, and has performed in collaboration with Eduard Wolfson (European Division of the Stradivarius Society), Lawrence Assadourian (Middle East Stradivarius), and Barclays Wealth for a special concert on Stradivari and Guarneri violins at the Islamic Museum of Qatar.
In addition to performing, Riad teaches violin and voice, applying the singing method of his master Abdo Dagher—an autodidact who worked across all musical fields of Egypt: folk, traditional, religious, and classical. He has given a conference and masterclass at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels (2023), and previously led workshops for the Jeunesses Musicales Belgian public school program. He was also Choir Director at the Community Center of Chant d’Oiseaux in Brussels (past).
GALLERY
ALBUMS
El Tarab El Aseel
Word Of Peace
Egypt – Mother Of The World
Contact
AH SINGING FOR
WELL-BEING ™
AH SINGING FOR WELL-BEING is music therapeutic services offered.
Your well-being is the most important aspect of your healthy lifestyle!
Offered to everyone with a voice and all levels of experience with their voice, or music or sound: beginners, intermediate or advanced, aged 50 to 99.
Build your voice and breathe in a class of melodic and ancient practices of Mediterranean Arab rhythms, tested and verified to facilitate your physical, mental and spiritual well-being.
Consider the Mediterranean diet: it’s known to be one of the best practical diets in the world. So, here’s the application of a <<sound/musical diet >>, catering to the unique needs of everyone.
Ancient Arabic musical modes were used to treat and deal with patients by the founder of modern medicine – Ali Ibn Sina or Avicenna – in the early hospitals of the 10th century. Avicenna is known as one of the first modern practitioners to help people prolong their lives (reference G. Sinoue: Avicenna or the Road to Isfahan).
From the middle Kingdom of ancient Egypt to the religious chanting of today’s Koran, chanting is and has been an important aspect of life in the Mediterranean, Asia and North Africa. This workshop uses only the non-textual syllable of <<ah>> or <<tah>> to create its healing tapestry. We can compare the Indian term << chakra >> to our life-healing goals are presented in the workshop. We use not only our lungs, but our throat in line with the thyroid, teeth as well as our cervical spine. Come and discover your vibration, communication, expression, and creativity!
You’ll develop your lung capacity and radiate physical and mental health!
One hour per week. You’ll change the way you look at the experience of life!
Write me an e-mail or contact me through my social media to receive more information on the price per session per individual or group rates for seniors for their lunch hour in total serenity!
Dated March 5, 2024
