Kinan Azmeh: Clarinet, Composer

Hailed as a “virtuoso” by the New York Times, “unique sound” by the Daily Star and “engagingly flamboyant” by the L.A. Times, Kinan Azmeh is one of Syria’s rising stars. His utterly distinctive sound is now fast gaining international recognition.

Born in Damascus, Kinan was the first Arab to win the premier prize at the 1997 Nicolai Rubinstein International Competition, Moscow. A graduate of New York’s Juilliard school, and of both the High institute of Music and Damascus University’s School of Electrical Engineering, Kinan is currently a doctoral music student of Charles Neidich at the City University of New York.

Kinan has appeared worldwide as a soloist and composer. Notable appearances include: Opera Bastille, Paris; Tchaikovsky Grand Hall, Moscow; Carnegie Hall and Alice Tully Hall, New York; the Royal Albert hall, London; Teatro Colon, Buenos Aires; der Philharmonie; Berlin; the Kennedy Center, Washington DC; and the opening concert of the Damascus Opera House. He has appeared as soloist with orchestras such as the Syrian National Symphony Orchestra, the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, The Bavarian Radio Orchestra and The Kiev Kamerata under such reputed conductors as Solhi al-Wadi and Daniel Barenboim. He has shared the stage with Marcel Khalife, Francois Rabbath, Mari Kimura, Elliott Sharp, Katia Tchemberdji, Kani Karaca and members of the Berlin Philharmonic, among others.

Compositions include several works for solo, orchestra, and chamber music, film, live illustration, and electronics.  His multimedia work “Gilgamesh” with visual Artist Kevork Mourad has been touring the US and the Middle East since 2006. His recordings include three albums with his ensemble HEWAR, a duo album with Sri Lankan-Canadian pianist Dinuk Wijertatne and several soundtracks for film and dance. He serves on the advisory board of the Nova Scotia Youth Orchestra, and is artistic director of the Damascus Festival Chamber Music Ensemble, with whom he released an album of new music written especially for the ensemble by various Arab composers.

Kinan’s website:  http://www.kinanazmeh.com/
Kinan Azmeh’s City Band:  http://www.kinanazmeh.com/cityband.htm



 
Kyle Sanna: Guitar, Composer

His music eludes simple categorization. From his introduction to the guitar through rock music to his formal study of jazz and composition to his immersion in the traditional music of Ireland and the Balkans.

Kyle has arranged music for such diverse artists as Yo-Yo Ma, Kaki King, and Martin Hayes, and has recorded and performed with some of acoustic music’s greatest virtuosos, including, Edgar Meyer and Chris Thile.

He has performed original or improvised music in Canada, Luxembourg, France, Germany, and the United States at such venues as Carnegie Hall and the concert halls at The Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music, Eastman School of Music, Cal Arts, UCLA, and others. As a composer, Kyle most often scores the visual and narrative arts, especially film, theater, and dance. He was a 2003 finalist in Turner Classic Movies’ Young Film Composers Competition; his latest film score is for the indie documentary “Finding the Bottom of the Sky.”

Kyle holds a degree in Jazz Performance from the University of Oregon and has studied composition at the Université Lumière in Lyon, France. In May 2006, Kyle participated as both composer and performer in a Carnegie Hall workshop with bass virtuoso Edgar Meyer.

Kyle lives in Manhattan and performs in clubs and concert halls throughout New York City. His broad interests have led him into diverse musical territories.  He is currently recording a solo album.

HILARY SCHENKER is an illustrator and graphic designer. Since 2006 she has been the literacy assistant at the Tompkins Square and Seward Park Centers for Reading and Writing.  She is inspired by bright colors, old city signs, and the view from the Brooklyn Bridge. 

HANK MITCHELL is an art director for digital media in the Baltimore/Washington area. He has worked in numerous areas of corporate presentation and digital media.  Currently Hank is an interative designer at Red 7 Media in Columbia, MD. and Norwalk CT. (www.red7media.com).  Hank recently worked with the Washington DC advertising agency RTC. There he served as the art director for the creation of quit.com, an award winning Web site created for GlaxoSmithKline to showcase their quit smoking products such as Nicorette and NicodermCQ.  Previously Hank worked at XIF, where he was the creative director and Web designer. Hank worked with clients to understand their business, brand, and needs, and advised clients on the best course of action in an objective manner.  Hank was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland and received a Bachelors of Music from New York University in 1994 while interning in Mercury Record’s marketing department.  Hank then began working for Projection Video where he set up extensive presentations for clients such as Kodak and Black and Decker. In 1995 he began work on the City Tour CD-ROM, a project for the City of Baltimore.  In 1998, Hank began working as a Web designer and developer for HCIA-Sachs (now Solucient). There he functioned as the sole Web designer for several web properties containing thousands of pages and documents. He also developed Flash-based demonstrations and printed materials.  Hank is also an active volunteer in Maryland. He donates his time to The Red Devils, a Maryland charity that supports families living with breast cancer. He serves on their board of directors and is the vice president of the organization.  Hank has been involved in many diverse forms of media including feature films, off-line editing, video projects and digital sound editing.  http://www.silvercrayon.com/

CLICK HERE FOR ARCHIVE:  2009