NAWRAS ALTAKY
Music Performance Artist, Composer
Nawras Altaky is a vocalist, composer and Ud player based in Utrecht the Netherlands. Born in 1995 in “ As-Suwayda ”, or the Druze mountain of south Syria.
In his compositions and performances, he explores new world music through interdisciplinary collaborations and intercultural projects, next to performing a varied repertoire of classical, traditional, modern, experimental and new world music.
NRC: “Altaky distinguished a warm baritone voice with which he can sing breathtakingly, colourful, softly and effectively build tension through a sublime sense of timing.”
Nawras is a graduate from the conservatoire of Utrecht, As a composer & Music Performance Artist class of 2022, and currently studying a Masters degree centred around composition and performance arts in Utrecht Conservatory.
As a composer Nawras expresses the strong connection between the different musical cultures he experiences such as Arabic and Western music. All merged in a virtuosity of contemporary and modern compositions flavoured with the beauty of Arabic melodies, the freedom of jazz harmonies and the power of classical counterpoint.
His inspiration is mostly driven by his values such as, freedom, humility, honesty, love and joy.
Altaky supports his message delivery with text, performance arts and visual arts.
Worked as a composer at the Music Meeting in Nijmegen. In may 2021 Nawras premiered five compositions varied in style for a mini orchestra at the Music Meeting festival in collaboration with Vrije geluiden VPRO.
Also commissioned by the Grachtenfestival he premiered the composition
“Labels Are Not Our Names” in Paradiso Amsterdam on the 15th of August 2021. Under the theme Listen! Music as a protest, he wrote this manifesto-composition that protested against labelling, dehumanisation and thinking in boxes.
In 2022 Altaky in collaboration with the Dutch composer Tijn Wybenga premiered two compositions first at North Sea Jazz Festival in Rotterdam and the second at November Music in Den Bosch. For the project AMOK they integrated his Vocals, Ud and Arabic modality into a modern jazz context.
Nawras sees himself as an activist and a change maker. In March 2020 he wrote the song SOS Moria to help and safe 500 children in the refugee camp Moria. The composition was played as solidarity action all over The Netherlands by different artists and by church bells.
As a performer Altaky shared the stage with Caro Emerald, Ellen Ten Damme, Oene van Geel, Janne Schra, Kim Hoorweg, Nai Barghouti, Toni Roe, NBE, Nizar Rohana and many other wonderful artists.
Performed for, North Sea Jazz, November Music, Grachten Festival, Le Guess who, International Music Meeting, North See Round Town, Wonderfeel festival, Tweetakt, Djemaa el Fna, The Parade, Gaudeamus, On The Roof and more.
Performed in, Het Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Paradiso, Bimhuis, TivoliVredenburg ( Grote zaal, Hertz, CloudNine, Ronde and pandora), Stadsschouwburg Amsterdam, Stadsschouwburg Utrecht, De Meervaart, Theatre Walhalla, Stadsschouwburg Leiden, Splendor, Kleine Komedie, Luxor Theater and more.
In 2017 he formed his own band Dyar (which means home in Arabic) together with Lucas Dols (double bass), Modar Salama (percussions) and Ghaeth Almaghoot (clarinet).