Kareem Roustom is
a Syrian-American composer, born and raised in Damascus, whose work has been
described as ‘bi-lingual.’ Active in a number of genres Roustom’s concert
music seeks to create a voice that reflects his heritage by combining a fluency
in both traditional/classical Arabic music and Western concert music. His
commissioned works include Daniel Barenboim, the Kronos Quartet, the Landmarks
Orchestra (Boston), the Philadelphia Orchestra’s Educational Department, the
Michigan Philharmonic, the Crossing Choir, Coro Allegro (Boston), the Boston
Children’s Chorus, the Gammage Center at Arizona State University, the Hopkins
Center at Dartmouth College, the Aplle Hill String Quartet, and others. His
music has been performed by the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, under Daniel
Barenboim at the Lucerne Festival, the Salzburg Festival and the BBC Proms.
Other performances include the Malmo Opera Orchestra (Sweden), the Pittsburgh
Symphony, the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra
Chamber Music Series, Choir of the 21st Century (London), The Peninsula Women’s
Chours, the Golden Gate Men’s Chorus, the Verbier Festival, the Braunschweig
Music Festival, the Rheingau Musik Festival, and the forthcoming American
premiere of Roustom’s Ramal for orchestra at the Grand Teton Music Festival under Donald Runnicles (August
19th & 20th 2016). James R. Oestreich in the New York Times described Roustom’s Ramal as “propulsive, colorful
and [an] immediately appealing creation.” Stephen Pritchard in The Guardian described Ramal as “arrestingly quirky and
postmodern…music with lots of personality.” Of his triple string quartet A
Voice Exclaiming, commissioned
for
the Kronos Quartet and
Rhode Island-
based Community MusicWorks,
David
Harrington wrote: “I think that with A
Voice Exclaiming, Kareem Roustom has made a vivid, thought-provoking new
piece that reflects hope in the time we live in, and the immense possibility
for positive change as well as its awesome uncertainties and dangers.”
Kareem Roustom’s new work, Letters Home for violin and cello, will be performed by Cuatro Puntos at the next Late Music concert, Saturday 4th June at the
Unitarian Chapel, St Saviourgate, York.
Steve Crowther: Can you describe the work to us?
Kareem Roustom: Words are probably not the best way to describe music
but I suppose my work is a reflection of my upbringing in Syria and my life in
the USA. How this manifests itself depends on the musical situation at
hand but I think it is not quite accurate to say that there is any one
definition of my ‘work’ since some of it is professional work (i.e. jobs) and
some of it arises out of a deep interest in life and a profound need to express
something about it. The latter is the kind of spirit that I try to bring
to my concert music.
SC: Do you write at the piano, do you pre-plan? Can you
describe the compositional process?
KR: I don’t play the piano, my main instrument is the
oud. However, I do have a piano at home that I play excellent ‘composer piano’
on (imagine two index fingers fumbling on the keys). My favorite place to
compose is at my desk, away from the computer, with pencil and paper. Although
I use computer based notation a great deal I try to keep things on paper for as
long as possible as I truly believe technology gets in the way of creativity
and certainly dulls the inner ear.
SC: Is it important to know the
performers? Do you write with a sound in mind?
KR: I think it is. At the very least, I try to imagine
the performer, practicing the piece and asking “is this really worth my time to
practice?” Then I avoid answering that question and continue writing.
SC: How would you describe your individual ‘sound world’?
KR: I hope to some day have an individual sound world but
as I look back on what I've done so far I find that my musical language can
vary widely. However, I am trying to find a voice in my concert works and, I
suppose, one might say that I try to combine elements Arab art and folk music
with contemporary western concert musical languages. But this isn’t
always obvious to the listener, which is not something I try to be blunt
about. I am fascinated by instrumental colour and I try to be expressive
with my orchestration.
SC: What motivates you to compose?
KR: A deep interest in life and the need to say
something about it. A need to connect, to somehow console, even if it is
only my own consolation that I seek, and a need to try and reach for something
better than the last work that I composed.
SC: Which living composers do you identify with or simply
admire?
KR: I cannot think of any that I identify with but I am
very taken with the music of Oliver Knussen and Thomas Adés. However, any
piece of music, whatever the style, can also be something that I’m drawn to if
it has the right combination of elements.
SC: If you could have a beer and a chat with any composer
from the past, who would it be and why?
KR: This is always dangerous because I worry that I
might really dislike the person whose music I love. I recently read a biography
about Sibelius, whose symphonies I am absolutely moved by, but I don’t know
that I would’ve wanted to spend much time with him had I lived in during his
lifetime. His poor wife, how she suffered for his genius. Great artists don’t
always make for the most pleasant personalities. That said, I’d very much
like to meet with Ravel to discuss orchestration, his life, and anything else.
However, I’d assume he’d prefer a nice glass of merlot rather than a beer.
SC: Now for some desert island discery – please name
eight pieces of music you could not be without, and then select just one.
KR: The great Egyptian diva Umm Kulthum’s Al-Atlaal (The
ruins), composed by Riyad Al-Sunbati, Sibelius Symphonies no 3 & 7 (can
those count as one), Huwa Sahih (Is it true that love conquers all?) by Zakaria
Ahmad, Britten’s War Requiem (it is a shame to choose just one of his), Mozart
Clarinet Quintet, Penderecki’s Passion, Knussen’s Horn Concerto, Ravel’s
Daphnis & Chloe. If I had to choose one, I guess it would be Al-Atlaal.
Nostalgia would be a very powerful factor on a desert island and the sung
poetry deals with facing the ruins of one’s life/civilisation but are also
defiant and inspiring.
SC: …and a book?:
KR: If I were stuck on a desert island, I would want a
book on navigating by the stars.
SC: …a film?
KR: The Double Life of Veronique by Kryzstof Keislowski
SC: …and a luxury item?
KR: Here, my luxury item is quiet time, on the island it
would probably be something very basic, like a blanket.
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