Kinan Azmeh

Clarinetist and Composer

Speaking at Closing Luncheon: Home, Freedom, and Belonging with Kinan Azmeh

“Intensely soulful… Virtuoso” -The New York Times

“[Azmeh’s] rhapsodic clarinet [is] able to seduce with a rare intimacy and explode in ecstasy.”
-Los Angeles Times

Hailed by critics and audiences alike, clarinetist and composer Kinan Azmeh has gained international recognition for his distinctive voice across diverse musical genres.

Originally from Damascus, Syria, Kinan brings his music to all corners of the world as a soloist,
composer, collaborator, and improviser. Kinan has appeared as a soloist with the New York Philharmonic, Seattle Symphony, Bavarian Radio Orchestra, the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, and the Syrian Symphony Orchestra among many others. A champion of contemporary music, Kinan has been honored with dedications of several clarinet concertos by composer colleagues including Kareem Roustom, Dia Succari, Dinuk Wijeratne, and Kyle Sanna.

Kinan is renowned for his diverse portfolio of compositions spanning solo, chamber, and orchestral music, as well as film scores, live illustration, and electronic music. Recent commissions include the New York Philharmonic, The Knights, Elbphilharmonie, and Cello Octet Amsterdam.

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