Syrian Maestro Amin Al-Khayyat passed away at the age of 87, after a long struggle with illness, on Sunday. Al-Khayyat was born in Damascus in 1936, and grew up in a house that loved music. His father, Abdel Aziz Al-Khayyat, was an amateur of art and hosted many authors and composers in his home.
Al-Khayyat graduated from the Arab Institute of Music in 1954, after learning to play the qanun, and after his graduation, he underwent training for a year within a number of orchestras in the theaters of Damascus. He joined the Aleppo Musical Radio Ensemble, then was appointed as a “creator” at the Arab Music Institute of the Ministry of Culture, and a composer on radio and television in Damascus.
In 1963, he formed the Al-Fajr Musical Ensemble, which included a group of skilled musicians, six of whom later became chiefs of large orchestras.
The Syrian maestro participated in the establishment of the Syrian Artists Syndicate in 1968, and assumed its presidency for four sessions. He was also elected to the board of directors several times.
Al-Khayyat composed for great Syrian singers, such as Dhiyab Mashhour, Maha Al-Jabri, Mustafa Nasri, Faten Hinnawi, Mustafa Maher, and Samir Helmy. He also collaborated with Arab singers from Egypt and others, and composed the soundtracks for TV programs, series, and movies.
(Reuters)
