In-demand Atlanta composer Malek Jandali seeks peace in Syria through music

As he said: “When you witness a catastrophe like this, there is no other way out. All I have is music. I am on a mission to preserve the beauty of a culture that dates back to ancient times – Mesopotamia – and is being eradicated. I want to say to the world: “We are part of you”; taking ancient maqams (a system of melodic modes) and integrating this music into the structure of Western classical music – sonata form, concertos and symphonies.

Credit: Photo by Dan Carmody

Credit: Photo by Dan Carmody

His works carry a message. His Clarinet Concerto, for example, is dedicated to “victims of injustice”. At its premiere by the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra in March, an audience member told Washington Post critic Michael Andor Brodeur: “Germany has Beethoven; Syria has Malek.

Jandali was born in Germany. When he was 5, his father, a prominent doctor, returned to Syria with his family to open a private hospital. Jandali’s father instilled in him a love of Western classical music.

“When I walked into the living room, my father was listening to recordings of von Karajan. And when I would go out of the house, I would listen to all this interesting Arabic music – folk music,” Jandali said. “I lived in the place that invented musical notation. I remember the first opera I attended in Germany, but I also remember the first folk dance I heard in Syria.

A gifted pianist, Jandali studied in Damascus and Moscow before winning a scholarship to study in North Carolina. “Until now, I only memorized as a pianist; I didn’t understand what I was playing. It’s like you’re reciting Shakespeare but you don’t know the language, the meaning.

“I learned harmony, counterpoint, orchestration and was exposed to jazz. In this environment, I realized that I am not the best pianist; that’s when I started to develop and become a composer. So I said: “Let the Russians play Tchaikovsky; no one can do this better. I’m going to find my identity and create my own music. And it was so much fun!”

Jandali is a totally original and eloquent composer. His music is also very accessible because of “the authenticity of this region,” he says. “These ‘Arab maqams’ are not Arab. They come from Asia, Persia, India. Because this region was a real commercial crossroads.

Credit: Dan Carmody

Credit: Dan Carmody

Jandali has homes in Atlanta and New York. He is perhaps best known to Atlantans for his Pianos for Peace program, which he started “as a way to give back to the city” and is still headquartered in Atlanta.

The program, which places and maintains pianos in public spaces so everyone can play them, has expanded to other cities. “We donate to schools, nursing homes, community centers and underserved communities. »

Musically, Jandali follows a somewhat eccentric pattern: his compositions are recorded first, followed by public performances later. Even today, some of his works only exist in recorded form, but have not yet been premiered. “Do you know why I do it this way? I compose for 100 years after my death. I have a mission bigger than me.

Jandali says he is working on his first opera, titled “The Square.” The details are still under wraps, but it is a large-scale opera and is a commission from a company he cannot yet reveal. “I loved the story. This is very timely. This touches my heart. I’m on fire, but at the same time, it’s very difficult. I’m not Mozart! I’ve been working there for three years.

Credit: Dan Carmody

Credit: Dan Carmody

A lot will happen for Jandali in the coming months:

Alsop, one of the greatest conductors of our time, led the way in recognizing Jandali and arranging the commissioning of his works: “Marin is my guardian angel,” Jandali says.

Last summer, Alsop talked about Jandali in an interview with Lois Reitzes, host of “City Lights,” the arts interview show on Atlanta’s NPR station, WABE.org.

“Malek approaches this Western art form with different spices in his toolbox: Syrian flavors, scales and folk references that are unfamiliar to us as Westerners,” she said. “But as soon as you hear them, you recognize them, because they are primitive. His wonderful scores bring different worlds together, and that’s what we need to celebrate – something so lacking today.

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James L. Paulk is a longtime classical music writer for publications including ArtsATL, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Musical America. He is also a former state senator.

Credit: ArtsATL

Credit: ArtsATL

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