BIOGRAPHY

Omar Znkawan is a Syrian saxophonist, clarinetist and composer who has been living in Berlin/Germany since 2018 and working on his project „Arabic Jazz music “.
Omar was a fellow of the program „Weltoffenes Berlin 2019“ of the Berlin Senate of Culture and Europe and is cooperating with „Werkstatt der Kulturen “.

He is working on recreating the Oriental music in general, and especially the Arabic music by adding new rhythms and harmonies for the musical forms to spread the Eastern atmosphere in Western styles, so that the non-Oriental people will accept and like it. Also, he and his band play songs and pieces of the most famous musicians in the Arabic scene in new jazz arrangements.

Regarding especially the saxophone, Omar's aim is to introduce it with Oriental instruments in a new image by playing the quartertone in Oriental melodies and improvising in the Oriental-Jazz style.

Despite he was forced to leave his country Syria in harsh conditions due to the war in 2017, he continued his work in Turkey with several musical activities, such as in Istanbul where he won the first place in „Startup Band 2017“ competition of UN refugees organization UNHCR.

His idea of „Arabic jazz “started earlier in Syria when he founded „Mandrake Orchestra“ in 2014 and was its conductor, and when he conducted „Helm & Hanin Safita “ choir in many of its concerts between the years 2015-2017.

His works were supported by many important factors:

- The innate Oriental spirit as he was born in 1985 in Homs/Syria.

- His academic studies at the College of Music in Homs, and at the Higher Institute of Music at Damascus.

- He studied by many specialists such as the clarinet professor Nikolaj Varaksin. His musical career began already during his student's time.

- So, he was a member of „Syrian Philharmonic Orchestra “and „Syrian Big Band (Jazz Orchestra)“ before his graduation from the Faculty of Musical Education in 2007.

Omar Znkawan worked after his Bachelor in the same college as lecturer in each of classic and jazz music, as an instrument teacher, conductor of the college ensemble and the students’ orchestra and in several other effective fields in his college, e.g. as teacher of „Sibelius Program“.

During his career, he participated in many workshops and made important musical events at the Opera House in Damascus, cultural centers, local festivals, and concerts in Syria and in other countries such as Morocco, Turkey, Belgium and Germany.

Omar is satisfied now to start a new existence as a Syrian composer and saxophonist with the Omar Znkawan Band in Berlin. You are invited to discover his creations und to feel delighted by his fusion of Jazz and traditional Arabic and Oriental music.

Of course, this is worth pursuing to add new musical taste and new colors into your life.