September 2007

Growing up in Syria in an artistic family – his father was the well-known director Ghassan Jabri and his mother the distinguished Syrian artist Asma Fayoumi, his future was perhaps preordained. In any event, this talented 32 year-old musician is fast making a name for himself, both in Syria and internationally. Jabri is a graduate of the Music Academy in Krakow where he studied composition with Zbigniew Bujarski. He is currently working on his PhD under supervision of Professor Krzysztof Penderecki. His talent is fortified by the excellence of his technique, allowing him to explore the most daring visions and bring them to life by expression through music. Not only is his enthusiasm for the topic infectious but also interminable. FW met and talked with Jabri on a hot Krakow afternoon. He spoke openly about his life and music, struggling to describe the watershed moment that his music represents. Once you get a glimpse of what’s below the surface, he is a most charming, dynamic and passionate person. The intricate and intense world of Jabri, that lows swift and unbroken, is portrayed by his enchanting music. However, he insists that his Arabic origins will always mark his music because they give him his individual identity and passion. What inspired you to become a musician and at what age?

It makes you wonder whether the problem lies in our conventional Syrian cuisine, or in the direction in which our traditions, habits and lifestyles are developing.

In so many ways, the Khalil Gibran International Academy (KGIA) is like any of its neighboring schools: it teaches math and science; physical education and art. However, this middle school has introduced a curriculum with a feature unique to any other school in New York: Arabic language and culture. In this city of 22 million, there are numerous schools focusing on particular themes, though few have generated as much controversy. Even before a single student was enrolled, labels such as «public madrassa,» «segregationist,» and “jihadi» were associated with the school.

A dear family friend, Dr Nicolas Chahine, convinced me to go to AUB back in the early 1990s. Dr Chahine, himself an AUB graduate, wrote me a letter on the day of my graduation saying: “Welcome to the world of those who have had life, and had it more abundantly!” It still amazes me how committed to AUB its graduates still are. The loyalty of the AUB alumni is so unique that it is unmatched among graduates of other universities around the world. A while back, some of us were gathered in Damascus, remembering our student days at AUB in the presence of some friends who were non-AUB its. They were unable to understand what was so special about AUB. We couldn’t really explain it and just said: «Well you see...AUB is AUB!» No need for explanation.