Abdelwahab has taught composition, instrumentation and orchestration, music theory, Arabic music, harmony, counterpoint, acoustics, and electro-acoustic music courses at various institutions in Egypt. He has been consulted by various music departments for curriculum development and program establishment in composition, music theory, and ethnomusicology. He has also advised many thesis and served on dissertation committees at the Cairo Conservatory, including Amir Nagib (completed Master degree in conducting). He has supervised the organization of public concerts presenting the work of students and young composers at the Cairo Opera House. Many prominent young Egyptian composers studied under him, including Amr Okba, Wael Samy, Bassam Halaka and Nahla Matter. Dr. Abdelwahab has coordinated many cultural-exchange concerts in collaboration with organizations such as the Japanese Foundation (Cairo), Swiss Prohelvetia, Alte Scmiede in Vienna and German Goethe-Institute in Cairo.
In addition, Abdel-Wahab is a multidisciplinary artist combining many fields in his compositions, including poetry, painting, photography and cinema montage. He has worked with many Egyptian artists in the field of theater, dance, painting and literature. Dr. Abdel-wahab frequently combines Eastern and Western elements, reflecting his view on the importance of cross-cultural experience. He mixes the tone color of traditional melodies with instrumental sound effects. He also uses unconventional and natural sound-samples forms, for example, machinery, cars engines, tools and daily-life ambient sounds.
He offered his first experimental and acoustic music concert in Egypt under title "Basamat" at the Cairo Opera House, (November 22, 1999). He also offered too the first electronic music concert with live Cairo Symphony Orchestra, which was conducted by him under title the "Tonalism", performing with collaboration of Japanese Foundation in Cairo, June 05, 2003.
His work has been covered in both public and cultural media where he has been quoted as being an all-around comprehensive artist and a multi-media music pioneer in Egypt and the Arab countries. He is the first Egyptian composer to combine sound with photography, video and cinematography, and present them simultaneously and unconventionally, using electro-acoustic and computer technology.
Over the last few years, Abdelwahab has focused on research, and published two books and various articles in Arabic journals about Arabic music theory and contemporary music. He also wrote a paper on the interaction between jazz and Arabic music. He is also very interested in "applied composition" which intends to find practical functions for music within society. His current interests, for example, include educational visual music for the Deaf, and therapeutic and comic music for depression. In his most recent book, Sound Scenography (Seeing the Sound), he writes about his unique experience related to embodied art and music. In this book ,he discusses new sound and musical termenology, which he calls "sound theatricalism" and cinematization,"—the translation of the dramatic feeling of sound into a specific visual display on the stage.
Beyond merely creating art for art's sake, Abdelwahab envisions a vital social role for his art in establishing cross-cultural dialogue and understanding, particularly between the western and Arab world.Bio
Profile in Arabic
List of works
Links
(Home)
