Syrian-German Violinist Ashraf Kateb was born in Aleppo/Syria 1969. He studied Violin in Conservatories of Aleppo, Moscow, Berlin and Cracow.

In 1979 he won the prize in Syrian National Competition for Children and 2nd Prize in Cracow International Festival for Children. He was theb Arab Nation's representative in the Philharmony of the nations, where he played for several years under Conducters such as Leonard Berstein, Sir Gorge Solti, Lord Yahudi Menuhin, Mistislav Rostropovitch, Gidon Kremer, Igor Oistrakh, Justus Franz, etc. Since 1998 he works on his project "Arabic music and the world", collection pieces of high rank written by Arab Composers, his ambition is to tour around the world introducing classical Arab music from the 20 and 21st century.

His first CD "Gestures"with the Syrian Pianist Gaswan Zerikly) was premiere in 2002 with a world success.

After a successful tour in the Middle and Far East countries and recently in USA, ASHRAF KATEB , accompany by the Lithuanian pianist RAMUNE NERIS, debut at the Purcell Room, South Bank Centre, is introducing for the first time in London a combine repertoire of Syrian/Arab classic of the 20th and 21st centuries, alongside master pieces from Europe and Latin America.

For this occasion also Ashraf Kateb will include two pieces by Frederic Chopin and Robert Schumann, to celebrate the Bicentennial of these two important European composers.

However the British audiences will enjoy the premier of Syrian/Arab music by composers of the 20th century. The music per example, by Dia Succari (1938-), "Sultane de Dama", "Au Palais du Tempes" and "Gesture" by Zayed Jabri (1975-), represents the rich musical legacy of Syria and also of the Middle Eastern countries.

The presentation per example of the pieces: " Fantasy on an Egyptian Folk-Tune" by Gamal Abdel Rahim (1924-1988), "Andalucianas" by Mustapha Aischa Rahmani (1944-2008), "Preludio e Moto Perpetuo " by Boghos Gelalian, (1927-), from Libano, and "Endearment", by Essam Aljowder (1962-), from Bahrain, are not well known Arab classical pieces in the western concert halls. But in the last years the international audience is more receptive to listen a multi-cultural repertoire. It is possible that in a near future the international audience will enjoy listen more flexible and diverse repertoires of classical music, by European, Arabs, Far Eastern, African, Asian and Latin American composers.

This is the new tendency of the contemporary classical music repertoire, gaining more enthusiasm and perfection by a new generation of musicians and general public. We can proudly say that in LACCS we are pioneer with the idea to introduce new classical repertoire by composers from Latin America and the rest of the world. Tonight concert is a confirmation of our motto: music is a useful tool to create a bridge of better cultural understanding amongst all nations.

A SUMMARY PROGRAMME TO BE PERFORMED

• Manuel de Falla (1876 -1946) Feuertanz
• Robert Schumann (1810-1856) Träumerei
• William Kroll (1901-1980) Banjo and Fiddle
• Dia Succari (1938-) Syria, Sultane de Damas* / Au Palais du Tempes
• Gamal Abdel Rahim (1924-1988) Egypt, Fantasia on an Egyption Folk-tune
• Zayed Jabri (1975- ) Syria, Gesture*
• Mustapha Aischa Rahmani (1944-2008) Morroco *Andalucianas (1,2,3)
• Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849) - Pablo de Sarasate (1844 -1908) Nocturne Op. 9 Nr. 2
• Aram Chatschaturjan (1903 - 1978), Song-Poem (in Honor of Ashugs) (1929)
• Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908), Arabian Song from scheherazade
• Fritz Kreisler (1875 - 1962), La Gitana (a piece after an 18th century Arabo-Spanish Gypsy song)
• Boghos Gelalian (1927-) Lebanon, Preludio e Moto Perpetuo.
• Enrique Mario Francini (1916- 1978), Argentinian Tango
• Zequinha de Abreu (1880 ­ 1935), Tico Tico
• Astor Piazzolla (1921-1992), Tango en La
• Essam Aljowder (1962-) Bahrain, Endearment

MUSIC BY ASHRAF KATEB, VIOLIN

MUSIC CLIP - "SULTANE DE DAMAS BY DIA SUCCARI (1938-)"

MUSIC CLIP - "AU PALAIS DE TEMPS BY DIA SUCCARI"

MUSIC CLIP - "GESTURE BY ZAYED JABRI (1975-)"

MUSIC CLIP - "MEDITATIONS BY AZIZ EL-SHAWAN (1916-1993)"

MUSIC CLIP - "DANCE CREPUSCULAIRE BY WALID AL HAJJAR"

MELODIANS STEEL ORCHESTRA UK

A Short History

A player in a steel orchestra performs on a pan, the world's youngest acoustic instrument, indeed the only brand new one created in the 20th century, It was born in TRINIDAD into a musical heritage derived from the cultures of its Amerindian, European, African and Indian peoples.

No-one knows the exact date of the pan's birth. In an Island where people were seeking ways of producing a unique, exciting sound, experiments were made with materials that were to hand. In the late 1930s music makers added the sound of steel in the form of biscuit tins and car hubs to the bamboo tamboo (tambours) in common use at the time. In 1945 a musician Spree Simon, realised that indentations in steel created different notes and that these incidental notes were most effective when steel was heated so "zinc became like biscuit flakes, then cooled rapidly with water.

"Necessity is the mother of the invention" and the Trinidadians were not slow to take advantages of the fuel containers abandoned by the American forces at the end of the Second World War. These oil drums were perfect material for shaping notes which process has become increasingly sophisticated.

The first pans were hung around the next. Now they are mounted on frames, They are still hand made by craftsmen called tuners. A full set of pans can produce the same range of notes as a traditional symphony orchestra.

NOTES ON MELODIANS

Formed in September 1987 by Terry Noel, the Award Winning Melodians Steel Orchestra, has provided opportunities for young people from varied social and racial backgrounds to develop musical skills, techniques and a wide repertoire that includes classical, modern, calypso, pop and jazz compositions.

The orchestra is well known internationally through links with the British Council Cultural Departments, around the world, and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Over the years the orchestra have taken their distinctive sound to several countries including: Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malta, Turkey, France, Dubai, Russia, Morocco, Belgium, Ireland, Jersey, Switzerland, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, North Korea, Beirut, etc. They can truly say that they are the most travelled Steel Orchestra in the world.

MUSIC BY MELODIANS STEEL ORCHESTRA

MUSIC CLIP - "Humming Bird by Robert Thompson, arranger Richard Murphy"

MUSIC CLIP - "The Power of Love by Rough/Mende, arranger Tom Chatburn"

MUSIC CLIP - "Guitar Pan by Kitchener, arranger Matthew Atkinson"

MUSIC CLIP - "I Believe I Can Fly by R Kelly, arranger Robert London"

MUSIC CLIP - "Rasputin by Boney M, arranger Paul Dowle"