Kinan Azmeh Premieres Songs for DAYS TO COME Volume 2 at Symphony Space

Syrian clarinetist and composer Kinan Azmeh-described as "intensely soulful" by the New York Times and "spellbinding" by the New Yorker-returns to Symphony Space's Leonard Nimoy Thalia on November 30, 2017 for the world premiere of his newest song cycle, Songs for Days to Come, Volume 2, commissioned by St Urban Salon series.

In an inspiring evening of art, poetry and conversation, Azmeh leads an ensemble of musicians in a performance of Songs for Days to Come, Volume 2 and its companion piece Volume 1. The contemporary Syrian poets featured are personal friends of Azmeh's, all living in exile around the world. Their recorded voices form a soundscape that melds with the live musicians, bringing a further intimacy to this unique work. Ara Guzelimian, Dean and Provost of The Juilliard School, joins Azmeh for an illuminating conversation.

Performers include Azmeh (clarinet), Dima Orsho (soprano), Kinan Abou-Afach (cello), and Lenore Davis (piano) with poetry by Aref Hamza, Raed Wahesh, Firas Sulaiman, Yamen Hussein, Fares Al-Bahra, and Abdel-Rahman Khallouf (songsfordaystocome.com).

Andrew Byrne, Artistic Director of Symphony Space, is "thrilled to welcome Kinan Azmeh, one of the most exciting voices from the music scene today, back to Symphony Space. This concert reflects our commitment to making our intimate Thalia Theatre an incubator for new work and ideas."

ABOUT KINAN AZMEH

Kinan Azmeh's utterly distinctive sound across different musical genres has been gaining international recognition. Born in Damascus, he has performed as soloist, chamber musician, improviser, and jazz artist around the world, from Paris' Opera Bastille to the UN's General Assembly. He has performed as soloist with the Bavarian Radio Orchestra, the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, the Knights Orchestra, the Osnabruck Symphony, and the Morgenland Festival Orchestra, to name a few.

In addition to his heavy touring schedule, Azmeh makes time to visit and play music with Syrian children in Jordanian refugee camps. He also performs with Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road Ensemble and was featured prominently in the documentary Music of Strangers.

Azmeh's compositions include several works for solo, orchestra, and chamber groups; film, live illustration, and electronics. His discography includes three albums with his ensemble HEWAR, several soundtracks for film and dance, a duo album with pianist Dinuk Wijeratne, and a recent album with his New York Arabic/Jazz quartet.

ABOUT ST. URBAN

Now in its fifth season, the New York chamber music series St. Urban has reinvigorated the music salon through daring musical and literary programming, original commissioned works, and outstanding performances in intimate settings, including private homes and the Tenri Cultural Institute. At each salon, St Urban audiences meet and engage in discussions with performers, composers, and writers to gain a deeper insight into their works and influences. st-urban.com

ABOUT Symphony Space

Symphony Space traces its beginnings to a free marathon concert, Wall to Wall Bach, held in 1978 and organized by co-founders Isaiah Sheffer and Allan Miller. The music marathon then drew thousands of visitors and has since become one of the organization's signature events. Today Symphony Space presents more than 600 events each season, including literature in performance, music, film, theater, dance, and performance in HD. Some of its best known programs include Selected Shorts, a reading of short stories by stars of stage and screen, and one of the most popular series on public radio; and Just Kidding, one of the most talked about family entertainment series around town. Symphony Space's original comedy debate series, Uptown Showdown, has been called "New York's best comedy series" by New York Magazine, and its Thalia Book Club series brings authors ranging from George Saunders to Trevor Noah to Jennifer Egan to Symphony Space to discuss their writing, along with stars of stage and screen reading excerpts from the authors' works.

For more information, visit symphonyspace.org. Symphony Space is located at 2537 Broadway at 95th Street. Box office hours are Tuesday through Sunday, 1 pm - 6 pm, open two hours prior to performances and events. Tickets can also be purchased through symphonyspace.org, or by calling 212-864-5400.

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