Ahmed Mukhtar
Encyclopedia
Ahmed Mukhtar Arabic ,أحمد مختار (born 1967) is an Iraq
i musician who is internationally renowned for his playing of the oud
. He was born in Baghdad
and is a graduate of the Institute of Fine Arts in Baghdad.
i groups. He went on to study Oud and western percussion at the high institute of music in Damascus
. Later he studied at the London College of Music
. At School of Oriental and African Studies
- University of London
, he earned a Master of music in performance, also Middle Eastern and Arabic music. Teaching Oud, percussion and Arabic music theory in many places in London such as SOAS-London University. From 1990 he became a performer and teacher and toured throughout the Middle East and Europe.
Mukhtar has written music for plays and documentaries for Arabic TV stations, such as MBC, ART, Mustakela and BB5, he also has composed music for a new Iraqi-European version of Stravinsky's Histoire du Soldat
(A Soldier's Tale) that produced at The Old Vic at the end of January 2006. He released two CDs, in 1996 and 1999, both of which contain traditional music and original work. ARC music Company realized two CDs (rhythm of Baghdad-2003) and (Road to Baghdad-2005) for Mukhtar composition. Musicians Union in Britain at 1999 had awarded Ahmed an award of best non-western musical compositions.
The UN chose Ahmed and sixteen other musicians from all over the world to release a CD for the benefit of the victims of terrorism and wars. Human Rights Association adopted this.
Today, he presents his own education musical program (Speech of the Oud) on the Almustaklah TV channel, which broadcasts from London. He also teaches Arabic music theory and percussion in London colleges.
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
i musician who is internationally renowned for his playing of the oud
Oud
The oud is a pear-shaped stringed instrument commonly used in North African and Middle Eastern music. The modern oud and the European lute both descend from a common ancestor via diverging paths...
. He was born in Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
and is a graduate of the Institute of Fine Arts in Baghdad.
Biography
Ahmed was born in 1967 in Baghdad, Iraq and has played the oud and Arabic percussion since 1979. He worked with many folk music groups and musicians in Baghdad. He studied Oud and percussion with the masters Ganim Hadad and Jameel Jerjis and graduated from the Institute of Fine Arts in Baghdad. Ahmed worked with Arabic orchestras and performed on TV with several IraqIraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
i groups. He went on to study Oud and western percussion at the high institute of music in Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
. Later he studied at the London College of Music
London College of Music
The London College of Music is a music school which is part of the University of West London in England.The LCM was founded in 1887 and existed as an independent music conservatoire based at Great Marlborough Street in central London until 1991...
. At School of Oriental and African Studies
School of Oriental and African Studies
The School of Oriental and African Studies is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the University of London...
- University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
, he earned a Master of music in performance, also Middle Eastern and Arabic music. Teaching Oud, percussion and Arabic music theory in many places in London such as SOAS-London University. From 1990 he became a performer and teacher and toured throughout the Middle East and Europe.
Mukhtar has written music for plays and documentaries for Arabic TV stations, such as MBC, ART, Mustakela and BB5, he also has composed music for a new Iraqi-European version of Stravinsky's Histoire du Soldat
Histoire du soldat
Histoire du soldat , composed by Igor Stravinsky, is a 1918 theatrical work "to be read, played, and danced" . The libretto, which is based on a Russian folk tale, was written in French by the Swiss universalist writer C.F. Ramuz...
(A Soldier's Tale) that produced at The Old Vic at the end of January 2006. He released two CDs, in 1996 and 1999, both of which contain traditional music and original work. ARC music Company realized two CDs (rhythm of Baghdad-2003) and (Road to Baghdad-2005) for Mukhtar composition. Musicians Union in Britain at 1999 had awarded Ahmed an award of best non-western musical compositions.
The UN chose Ahmed and sixteen other musicians from all over the world to release a CD for the benefit of the victims of terrorism and wars. Human Rights Association adopted this.
Today, he presents his own education musical program (Speech of the Oud) on the Almustaklah TV channel, which broadcasts from London. He also teaches Arabic music theory and percussion in London colleges.
Festival performances
- The International Festival in Poland -1987
- The International Festival of Arabic Music in Cairo-1994
- The Conference of Arabic Music in Damascus-1995
- The International Music Feast in Cambridge University1997
- The International Conference and Festival of Lute and Music in France and Spain 1998-2002
- The Festival of Iraqi Culture 2002
- The Festival of Iraqi Culture -Stockholm 2002.
- The Festival of the Iraqi Culture -Stockholm 2003
- WOMAD Global festival- Reading 2003
- Many live performances and concerts for BBC Radio 3BBC Radio 3BBC Radio 3 is a national radio station operated by the BBC within the United Kingdom. Its output centres on classical music and opera, but jazz, world music, drama, culture and the arts also feature. The station is the world’s most significant commissioner of new music, and its New Generation...
London. - Mediterranean Festival 2004- Italy
- A guest performer in the international music day 1/1/2004 form BBC radio 3
- A guest performer in the Book International Exhibition in U.A.E- 2005
- Iraqi Music Week in London, as director and performer-2006
- Al Mada Festival - Iraq- April 2007
- A Gust performer on the Conference of Arab Writers in Algeria 2007
- A Gust performer on the Arabic Films Festival in Italy 2007
- Iraqi Culture week in UNESCO- Paris 2007.
- Institute of the Arab World - Paris May 2008(The Festival of 'Baghdad to Cordoba In the footsteps of Ziryab)
- General Supervisor of Salih Al- Kuwaiti's celebration in London University -December 2008
- BABYLON: myth and reailty, an expiation and festival In British Museum 2009
Discography
- The Road to Baghdad 2005 - New Maqams from Iraq
- Rhythms Of Baghdad 2003 - Ahmed Mukhtar & Sattar al-Saadi
- Words from Eden 1999 - Oud music from Iraq
- Tajwal 1997 LIVE - Recital on Oud