Palestinian composer’s folk tunes strike a chord at US music competition

AMMAN — Palestinian composer Ahmed Abu Abed won first place at the USA Music Composition International Competition in June. 

A newcomer to the competition field and music teacher at the Modern American School, he virtually attended the monthly event organised by International Youth Music Competitions (IYMC), which welcomed 110 musicians from 33 countries, according to IYMC . 

Abu Abed’s winning piece, titled “Suite of Palestine”, was a showcase of Palestinian folk music and brought to light the importance of preserving the Arab identity, he told The Jordan Times.

A composer for five years, residing in Jordan, he noted the dedication and time it takes to compose music that represents a person’s heritage.

“I think heritage is one of the most important issues that people care about, especially as it constitutes an important base in preserving the personalities and spiritual value of these peoples,” Abu Abed said.

He emphasised the importance of a creating new folk music due to the “lack of Palestinian composers in this field”, especially in an orchestral setting. 

Abu Abed believes his contribution to Palestinian folk music will create more opportunities for the genre to be played on orchestral instruments and to be further developed by other artists.

He described Palestinian folk music as “raw material” for orchestral writing, which is why “it is an exceptional piece of inspiration for composers”.

He added that his goal is to present Palestinian folk songs to the world and show how “beautiful and expressive” they are to preserve the traditional elements of these songs and refashion them for the present day. 

Abu Abed will travel to New York City at the beginning of 2023 for the prize-winner’s recital to give a live performance of “Suite of Palestine”.