Egyptian Piano Music, A New and Unique Voice

Gave a lecture on Egyptian piano music as a part of Roosevelt University Chicago College of performing Arts PianoFest last week. I was very moved by the reactions of piano students and professors alike.

Here are some of the pieces used in the lecture:

Aziz El Shawan piano concerto

Abu Bakr Khyrat Four Etudes:

Wael Farouk Gamal Abd El Rahim “To Our Revolution’s Martyrs” I Lament, II Conflict

Amr Okba: F.B.I, Facebook Information for Piano Sol, Lamis Shams, Piano:

Tremendous music making, the kind that defies and transcends any and all challenges. – New York Concert Review

Wael Farouk imposed from the first chords of Bach’s Partita in C Minor a gravity of tone, a height of view that belongs only to the greatest. – La Tribune Le Progrès

An audacious and inventive pianist. – La Tribune Le Progrès

A virtuosity and an expression without equal. – La Tribune Le Progrès

Wael Farouk is a completionist… a marathon man in music world -Chicago Tribune

Breathtakingly poetic – New York Concert Review

The way Mr. Farouk sailed through the piece, as if daydreaming out loud, made masses of notes seem merely incidental. That is how it should be, but only when one hears it does one realize how rare it is. – New York Concert Review

Wael Farouk is, without a doubt, a formidable and magnificent pianist . . . Of the most interesting and individualistic I have heard in a long time. – New York Concert Review

A very special musical genius. – Al Ahram Weekly

Absolute pianistic brilliance. Technically, one can hardly imagine more pearly runs and differentiated articulation and arpeggios. – Westfalen-Blatt Bielefelder Zeitung

Mr. Farouk daringly showed his mastery and discipline over all sorts of technical hurdles and was even more impressive in making a breathtakingly poetic, singing tone. – New York Concert Review

Here was . . . absolutely masterful playing. – New York Concert Review

Mr. Farouk simply lived and breathed the music with the poetry of a born artist. – New York Concert Review

One of the best renditions of the Rachmaninoff Third Concerto I’d ever heard. – New York Concert Review

With his history-making concert, pianist Wael Farouk speaks to social inequities and is ready to reach higher. – Chicago Tribune

Absolute virtuosic mastery. – Westfalen-Blatt Bielefelder Zeitung

Pianist Wael Farouk is a ‘super-virtuoso.’ – New Jersey Star-Ledger

Completely the virtuoso. – Wilhemshavener Zeitung

Wael Farouk played the highly virtuoso, technically challenging solo part with absolute mastery. – Nordwest Zeitung

Here is piano playing that brings chills to the flesh, performed with a rare virtuoso technique. – David Dubal