Egypt's gold prices fall on July 31st    Egypt signs new exploration deal with Eni, BP    Sterling set for sharpest monthly drop since 2022    Germany says process towards recognition of Palestinian state 'must now begin'    Egypt, Brazil sign deal to boost pharmaceutical cooperation    Egypt exports first high-tech potato seeds to Uzbekistan after opening market    Modon Holding posts AED 2.1bn net profit in H1 2025    Egypt's Al-Sisi, Italian defence minister discuss Gaza, security cooperation    Egypt's FM discusses Gaza, Nile dam with US senators    Aid airdrops intensify as famine deepens in Gaza amid mounting international criticism    Egypt's Electricity Ministry says new power cable for Giza area operational    Health minister showcases AI's impact on healthcare at Huawei Cloud Summit    On anti-trafficking day, Egypt's PM calls fight a 'moral and humanitarian duty'    Egypt strengthens healthcare partnerships to enhance maternity, multiple sclerosis, and stroke care    Egypt keeps Gaza aid flowing, total tops 533,000 tons: minister    Indian Embassy to launch cultural festival in Assiut, film fest in Cairo    Egyptian aid convoy heads toward Gaza as humanitarian crisis deepens    Culture minister launches national plan to revive film industry, modernise cinematic assets    Sudan's ambassador to Egypt holds reconstruction talks on with Arab League    I won't trade my identity to please market: Douzi    Sisi sends letter to Nigerian president affirming strategic ties    Two militants killed in foiled plot to revive 'Hasm' operations: Interior ministry    Egypt, Somalia discuss closer environmental cooperation    Egypt's EHA, Huawei discuss enhanced digital health    Foreign, housing ministers discuss Egypt's role in African development push    Egypt reveals heritage e-training portal    Three ancient rock-cut tombs discovered in Aswan    Sisi launches new support initiative for families of war, terrorism victims    Egypt expands e-ticketing to 110 heritage sites, adds self-service kiosks at Saqqara    Egypt's Irrigation Minister urges scientific cooperation to tackle water scarcity    Palm Hills Squash Open debuts with 48 international stars, $250,000 prize pool    On Sport to broadcast Pan Arab Golf Championship for Juniors and Ladies in Egypt    Golf Festival in Cairo to mark Arab Golf Federation's 50th anniversary    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    A minute of silence for Egyptian sports    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Never say never
Published in Daily News Egypt on 03 - 02 - 2008

Playing on an old piano at his grandfather's house, young Mohamed Saleh developed an early passion for music - a passion that took years to blossom and more years of dedicated studying to be polished.
"My grandfather had an old piano at home which he had bought for decoration only, Saleh said. "Early on, I started playing anything that came to my mind.
In just over 10 years, Saleh had managed to grasp what pianists spend their entire youth painstakingly learning. But, it wasn't until the age of 22 when he decided to go professional and make a career out of his hobby. True that the challenges were great at the Rimsky-Korsakov State Conservatoire, but his passion was greater.
"I studied for eight to ten hours a day, he said, "and spent the rest of my time on campus, either attending concerts or mingling with other musicians.
Among his colleagues was D.A. Tolstoi, the son of the legendary Russian novelist Aleksei Tolstoi, author of "War and Peace. Tolstoi gave Saleh a toccata - a virtuoso piece of classical music for a keyboard instrument or plucked string instrument - to play at the State Hermitage Museum in Russia.
"Music changed my views concerning everything, Saleh explained. "Music enables you to listen to the intonation of people, and feel their energy that you eventually translate into music.
Music has also changed his perception of time.
"Music is an art that flows with time. In other words, one minute is 60 seconds and seconds can be further divided into femto seconds. One second is one whole unit in music, and that made me adhere to a certain discipline in making good use of my time.
"Another thing that I acquired through music is that you get to work with other musicians, and that is a good exercise to get rid of dogmatic points of view, he said. "With time, I learned to let go of some of my views in order to work harmoniously with my colleagues.
One theory about playing the piano is that it increases the spatial reasoning - the ability to visualize spatial patterns and mentally manipulate them over time-ordered sequence of spatial transformations. Saleh agrees.
"The piano is a polyphonic instrument, and that widens your imaginative abilities, he said. "You start thinking or visualizing in three dimensions in space, and not in a linear manner.
Saleh's strategy towards increasing the music awareness in Egypt seems simple. "We must discover early hobbies, nurture and encourage them. I recommend that a music school should be established and allow students to enroll at a young age, starting from four or five, to be able to develop their ability to comprehend music from an early age.
Saleh stressed that there should be more awareness about classical music through the media and educational institutions. Nevertheless, he thinks highly of the classic music scene in Egypt
"I personally believe that the music scene in Egypt is perfect; moving very fast and versatile in all performances, he said.
"Now we have three different orchestras: Cairo Opera Orchestra, Cairo Symphony Orchestra and the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra.
Furthermore, the International Music Center at Manisterly Palace is headed now by the well-known Egyptian pianist Ramzi Yassa. And last but not least, the Egyptian Philharmonic Society, which was established by the profound Egyptian conductor, Ahmed El Saedi.
SIDE BAR
. At the Faculty of Engineering, Ain Shams University, Saleh won several musical contests.
. In 1990, Saleh received a scholarship from the former Soviet Union to study at the Rimsky-Korsakov State Conservatoire, St Petersburg, where he studied piano, accompaniment and chamber music with V.A. Kalmykov.
. In 1996, he graduated from the Conservatoire and pursued his studies in composing.
. After obtaining a masters degree from St Petersburg, he worked as an assistant teacher at the University of Connecticut, where he also studied piano and chamber music with Neal Larrabee, performing the Khatchaturian Piano Concerto with the university orchestra.
. In 1998, he joined the Cairo Symphony Orchestra as a pianist, performing concerts and recitals.
. Saleh is also the Artistic Supervisor of the International Music Center at Manisterly Palace in El-Manyal, which is part of the Cultural Development Fund.


Clic here to read the story from its source.