A work that moves between Western classical writing and Arabic maqam scales and rhythms, the music reflects the composer’s experience navigating two cultures, with altered timbres evoking the sound world of Middle Eastern instruments like the qanun.
Original version premiered by: Basma Edrees (violin), Ava Nazar (piano)
Venue: Paul Recital Hall, The Juilliard School, New York
Kaman Fantasy (pronounced KA-men) takes its name from ‘kamanjah,’ the Arabic word for ‘violin.’ The piece is an exploration of the Arabic ‘maqamat’ (sets of scales) and rhythms in a Western classical context. The music embraces both traditions, often swaying back and forth between Arabic and Western idioms. Since the piano itself is not found in the Arab musical canon, I decided to prepare the instrument’s middle range in an effort to mimic the sound of a common Middle Eastern instrument, the ‘qanun.’ As a first generation Arab-American, I have often found myself shifting between both cultures in the way that I think and act, sometimes voluntarily, most times not. Kaman Fantasy is a reflection on those experiences.
2021 Neue Musik Korea Seoul International Online Composition Festival, Winner
2020 University of Vermont Festival for New Music Call for Scores, Finalist
2018 Verdant Vibes Call for Scores, Winner
2018 Brian Israel Prize, Winner
2018 Classic Pure Vienna International Composition Competition, Winner
2017 Forecast Music Call for Scores, Winner
2017 Left Coast Chamber Ensemble Composition Contest, Finalist
2017 Hear Now Los Angeles Festival, Winner
2016 ASCAP Morton Gould, Finalist
2015 Juventas New Music Ensemble Call for Scores, Winner
2015 BMI Student Composer Award, Finalist
