Sayed Awad
Encyclopedia
Sayed Awad was an Egyptian composer of contemporary classical music
. He began his career as a violin
ist for the orchestra of the Cairo Opera House
and later lived for many years in Jordan
. He studied in Moscow
with the Russian violinist and conductor David Oistrakh
and received a Ph.D. in music there in 1968.
He is best known for his Yarmouk Symphony, and for his three-act opera The Death of Cleopatra, which is based on the epic poem by Ahmed Shawqi
.
Contemporary classical music
Contemporary classical music can be understood as belonging to the period that started in the mid-1970s with the retreat of modernism. However, the term may also be employed in a broader sense to refer to all post-1945 modern musical forms.-Categorization:...
. He began his career as a violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
ist for the orchestra of the Cairo Opera House
Khedivial Opera House
The Khedivial Opera House or Royal Opera House was the original opera house in Cairo, Egypt. It was dedicated on November 1, 1869 and burned down on October 28, 1971....
and later lived for many years in Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
. He studied in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
with the Russian violinist and conductor David Oistrakh
David Oistrakh
David Fyodorovich Oistrakh , , David Fiodorović Ojstrakh, ; – October 24, 1974, was a Soviet violinist....
and received a Ph.D. in music there in 1968.
He is best known for his Yarmouk Symphony, and for his three-act opera The Death of Cleopatra, which is based on the epic poem by Ahmed Shawqi
Ahmed Shawqi
Ahmed Shawqi was the great Arabic Poet-Laureate, an Egyptian poet and dramatist who pioneered the modern Egyptian literary movement, most notably introducing the genre of poetic epics to the Arabic literary tradition...
.