ABDULLAH CHHADEH

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Abdullah Chhadeh is the Arab worlds most innovative qanun player. He has re-designed this 10th century oriental instrument by the addition of an octave, enhancing its tonal range and enabling him to challenge the qanun's traditional repertoire. His work has included adaptations from the Syrian, Turkish, Azerbaijani, and Andalusian traditions as well as more surprising interpretations of well-known Western classical composers. He was offered a scholarship to study composition at the Guildhall School of Music, where he refined his prodigious skill as a composer and started to introduce the qanun's distinctive sound to new settings. His composition for qanun and chamber orchestra had its world premiere performance in 2000 in Cyprus, while his recordings and collaborations have included both solo performances and featured soloist work with Sinead O' Connor, Jocelyn Pook, Natacha Atlas and David Arnold among others. In 2001 he formed Nara, an ensemble combining the qanun with a variety of traditional Mediterranean and Middle Eastern instruments; "an ever-evolving musical project based entirely on Chhadeh's original compositions Nara continues to inspire audiences at every performance".