This story was originally published by ArtsATL.
Over the past decade, Atlanta-based composer Malek Jandali has become one of the most significant, original and prolific figures in classical music. His compositions, which include eight symphonies and seven concertos, have been commissioned by major orchestras. Fifteen recordings have been made of his works. And he is working on his first opera.
Born of Syrian parents and revered by the Syrian exile community, Jandali has been called the “musician of the revolution.” He is intensely focused on bringing peace to Syria and on preserving the musical culture that is being systematically destroyed in the war there.
As he put it: “When you witness such a catastrophe, there is no other way. All I have is music. I am on a mission to preserve the beauty of a culture that goes back to ancient times — Mesopotamia — that is being eradicated. I want to tell the world, ‘We are part of you’; to take ancient maqams (a system of melodic modes) and integrate that music into the Western classical music structure — sonata form, concertos and symphonies.”
Credit: Photo by Dan Carmody
Credit: Photo by Dan Carmody
His works carry a message. His Clarinet Concerto, for example, is dedicated to “victims of injustice.” At its premiere by the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra in March, a member of the audience told Washington Post critic Michael Andor Brodeur: “Germany has Beethoven; Syria has Malek.”
Jandali was born in Germany. When he was 5, his father, a prominent physician, returned to Syria with his family to start a private hospital. Jandali’s father instilled in him a love of Western classical music.
“When I entered the living room, my dad would be listening to von Karajan recordings. And when I went out of the house, I would listen to all this interesting Arabic music — folk music,” Jandali said. “I was living in the place that invented music notation. I remember the first opera that I attended in Germany, but I also remember the first folk dance I heard in Syria.”
A gifted pianist, Jandali studied in Damascus and Moscow before winning a scholarship to study in North Carolina. “Up to this point, I was only memorizing as a pianist; I didn’t comprehend what I was playing. It’s like you are reciting Shakespeare but you don’t know the language, the meaning.
“I learned harmony, counterpoint, orchestration and I was exposed to jazz. In that environment, I realized that I am not the best pianist; this is when I started to develop and to transition into a composer. So I said: ‘Let the Russians play Tchaikovsky; no one can do that better. I will find my identity and create my own music.’ And it was so much fun!”
Jandali is a totally original and highly eloquent composer. His music is also very accessible because “of the authenticity of that region,” he says. “Those ‘Arabic maqams’ are not Arabic. They’re from Asia, Persia, India. Because this area was such a crossroads for trade.”
Credit: Dan Carmody
Credit: Dan Carmody
Jandali has homes in Atlanta and New York. He is perhaps best known to Atlantans for his Pianos for Peace program, which he started “as a way to give back to the city” and which is still headquartered in Atlanta.
The program, which places and maintains pianos in public spaces so that anyone can play them, has grown to include other cities. “We donate to schools, nursing homes, community centers and underserved communities.”
Musically, Jandali follows a somewhat eccentric pattern: His compositions are recorded first, with public performances following later. Even now, a few of his works exist only on recording, yet to be premiered. “Do you know why I do it this way? I am composing for 100 years after my death. I have a bigger mission than myself.”
Jandali says he is working on his first opera, to be titled “The Square.” Details are still under wraps, but this is to be a full-scale opera and is a commission from a company that he can’t yet reveal. “I loved the story. It’s very timely. It touches my heart. I am on fire, but, at the same time, it’s very challenging. I’m not Mozart! I’ve been working on it for three years.”
Credit: Dan Carmody
Credit: Dan Carmody
A lot is happening for Jandali in the coming months:
- The London Symphony Orchestra will be recording his two cello concertos, with Maximilian Hornung as soloist;
- The ORF Vienna Symphony, with Marin Alsop conducting, will be recording his Symphony No. 5, Symphony No. 8 and a symphonic poem, “The Ocean”;
- Alastair Willis will conduct the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra in the World Premiere of Jandali’s Symphony No. 1 (the “Syrian Symphony”) in Doha next season;
- Also next season, Robert Franz will lead the Windsor Symphony Orchestra in the world premiere of his Symphony No. 5.
Alsop, one of the foremost conductors of our time, has led the way in recognizing Jandali and arranging to commission his works: “Marin is my guardian angel,” Jandali says.
Last summer, Alsop spoke about Jandali in an interview with Lois Reitzes, host of “City Lights,” the arts interview show that streams on Atlanta’s NPR station WABE.org.
“Malek approaches this Western art form with different spices in his tool kit: flavors from Syria, scales and folk references that are not familiar to us as Westerners,” she said. “But as soon as you hear them, you recognize them, because they are primal. His wonderful scores bring different worlds together, which is what we need to celebrate — something so missing today.”
::
James L. Paulk is a longtime classical music writer for such publications as ArtsATL, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Musical America. He is also a former state senator.
Credit: ArtsATL
Credit: ArtsATL
MEET OUR PARTNER
ArtsATL (artsatl.org) is a nonprofit organization that plays a critical role in educating and informing audiences about metro Atlanta’s arts and culture. ArtsATL, founded in 2009, helps build a sustainable arts community contributing to the economic and cultural health of the city.
If you have any questions about this partnership or others, please contact Senior Manager of Partnerships Nicole Williams at nicole.williams@ajc.com.
