Maya Youssef: Women Make Music
Hailed as the ‘queen of the qanun’ (BBC Radio 3, Songlines) Damascus born Maya Youssef is a globally renowned, innovative and genre- defying qanun player and composer from Syria. In 2012, Maya moved to London under the Arts Council’s Exceptional Talent scheme. Since then, she has played at the Proms and became a regular on the BBC.
When the war started in her homeland, music to Maya became a healer and an antidote to what is happening not only in Syria, but in the whole world.This resulted in the birth of her highly acclaimed debut album Syrian Dreams (released on Harmonia Mundi [PIAS] and produced by Joe Boyed) which won the prestigious German Record Critics’ Award and The New Comer Award from Songlines magazine.
This fund is dedicated for the creation of new music for Maya’s new album. Maya will write the new album and will be working closely with a new and an exiting range of collaborators including producer Leo Abrahams.The new album will introduce the public to different possibilities of how the qanun (the Middle Eastern 78 stringed plucked zither) can be contextualised in different sonic textures. It is a journey through feelings of nostalgia and memories and essences of home both within and without.