When Rima, Kinan's sister called me at 8:00 AM the day after the competition, I thought something wrong had happened, but my worry was soon replaced by overwhelming joy
for the good news.
I am not only happy for Kinan's success because he is Syrian, or because he is a personal friend of mine, but also because Kinan is such a distinguished young man, with so many good qualities, that some cynics may consider him too good to be true.
Kinan had the benefit of being brought up by an extraordinary family, his father Bashar, a consultant on medical equipment and medical engineering, and his mother Hala, a pathologist, are larger than life in their characters, attitudes, span of interests, and love of life and things beautiful.
His charming sister, Rima, both an architect and a professional guitarist, enjoyed incredible public acclaim when she presented Schubert's guitar quintet in Damascus two years ago. She certainly is a charismatic artist.
Although Kinan has had all his musical education in Syria, at the Arab Institute of Music first, and then at the Higher Institute of Music, he benefited from his contacts with the Russian experts (especially Professors Viovanov, Shatalof and Vidronika) at both institutes, and from a scholarship to study chamber music at the Apple Hill Centre for Chamber Music in the US.
He has also participated in many international activities, and played as a soloist at the conference of Music Academies of the Mediterenian Countries (Alexandria, 1996). He also Played Mozart's Clarinet Concerto with the Chilean conductor Francisco Rettig.
Needless to say that Kinan has played many major orchestral works with the Syrian National Symphony Orchestra under the baton of its conductor Solhi Al-Wadi.
Kinan is an excellent tennis player, and a saxofon player for local Jaz groups. He particularly enjoys the improvisational aspects of Jazz.
Mail me: Imad Moustapha {I.Moustapha@surrey.ac.uk}
Last modified 21/5/97 by Imad Moustapha (mep2im@surrey.ac.uk)
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