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Rony Barrak
- 1. RONY BARRAK Percussionist/Composer/Arranger/Musical director +961.3.367590| P.O. Box 95 Zouk Mekhael, Lebanon info@ronybarrak.com | www.ronybarrak.com http://www.youtube.com/ronybarrak www.facebook.com/ronybarrakofficial • BIOGRAPHY Internationally renowned Lebanese percussionist and composer Rony Barrak held his Darbouka (Middle Eastern Tabla) at the tender age of four and began playing it intuitively. Led by early self-confidence, he made his first TV performance at the age of seven and then proceeded to improve his skills through school and family performances. At the age of seventeen, Rony distinguished himself in the world of music by winning the Gold Medal in a competition on the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation International (LBCI) television for talented young musicians in Lebanon and the Middle East. This achievement encouraged him to unleash the Darbouka from the chains of its long-standing traditional context and explore its full potential. He moved to London in 1990 where he studied orchestral percussion and drum kit at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and later taught Middle Eastern Percussion at Trinity College of Music. Rony became a British citizen in year 2000 and has dual citizenship of Lebanon and the U.K. Blending eastern and western flavors, Rony is a versatile percussionist, composer, pianist, and arranger. He plays and composes his own fusion style—a colorful blend of Arabic, Latin, Jazz, funk, New Age and chill-out. In addition to being the world's leading Darbouka player, he assembled his own unique percussion set. He incorporated into his performances fascinating instruments such as car parts, demonstrating an uncanny ability to create rare, exciting combinations out of found objects. Rony’s love for classical music propelled him to compose symphonic pieces, taking his effort to bring together eclectic music traditions to the next level. Since 2009 he has composed and premiered three compositions—dramatic, graceful, and spontaneous symphonic poems featuring his Darbouka—in the US and Germany. Over the years, he has performed with many world-renowned symphony orchestras and conductors as a Darbouka soloist. Besides original symphonic compositions, Rony has also achieved breakthrough success since 2005 as a soloist with Symphonic Game Music Concerts produced by Thomas Böcker (Merregnon Studios) and with PLAY! A Video Game Symphony, receiving sponsorship from companies such as Electronic Arts for multiple game concerts. Subsequently, Rony was featured prominently in five video game music albums. Rony makes regular appearances on television and radio shows in Lebanon and throughout the Middle East, including interviews and solo performances, consistently demonstrating a strong rapport with worldwide audiences. Further, Rony served as the Musical Director and Composer for a Saturday night television show (Iktachafna el Baroud) on LBCI TV-Lebanon in 2006 and on “What the viewers want” on MBC TV in 1997. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
- 2. 2 • OWN ORCHESTRALCOMPOSITIONS AND PERFORMANCES 2014 "Beirut Sensations" & "Darbouka Concerto” Yerevan, Armenia With the Academic Theatre Symphonic Orchestra of Yerevan conducted by Karen Drugaryan 2012 “Boulder Sensations” (world premiere) Boulder, USA With the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Michael Butterman 2011 "Darbouka Concerto” (world premiere) & “Beirut Sensations” Bremen, Germany With the Bremer Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Markus Poschner and broadcasted live on Bremen Radio 2009 "Beirut Sensations" (world premiere) Boulder, USA With the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Michael Butterman • ALBUMS PRODUCED, COMPOSED, & ARRANGED 2016 Coming soon…Trio Album with Vlad Gershivich & Alex Nekrasov - USA 2010 "Darbouka City" distributed and published by EMI Records music Arabia, followed by Music video clip "Darbouka City" 2005 "Karizma" with Michel Fadel, distributed and published by EMI Records music Arabia 1999 "Aramba" followed by Music video clip "Aramba" • ORCHESTRAS RECORDED AND PERFORMED WITH AS SOLOIST London Philharmonic Orchestra Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir Moscow Symphony Orchestra WDR Radio Orchestra of Cologne Bremer Philharmonic Orchestra Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra FILMharmonic Orchestra of Prague Chicago land Pops Orchestra Toronto Orchestra and Choir NDR Bigband Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra Norwegian Radio Orchestra Czech Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra UK I.A.P.S. National Symphony Orchestra Osnabruck Symphony Orchestra Morgenland All Star Band & chamber orchestra Camerata Salzburg Orchestra Bandadriatica-Italy Academic Theatre Symphonic Orchestra of Yerevan
- 3. 3 • ARTISTS PERFORMED,TOURED, AND RECORDED WITH Sarah Brightman Arturo Sandoval Fairuz Al Di Meola Bond Talvin Singh Juan Martin Vanessa Mae Pedro Eustache Dave Grusin Don Grusin Simon Shaheen Jaz Coleman Richard Galliano Oscar Castro-Neves Ziad Rahbani Abboud Abdel Aal Alex Acuna Richard Galliano Ibraham Loberial Art Lande Martin Grubinger Nelson Rangel Ara Gevorgyan Raúl di Blasio Aynur Perhat Khaliq Antonio Forcione Eduardo Niebla Mike Herting Otis Grand Iris Hond Pete Lockett Patrick Leonard • CONDUCTORS WORKED WITH John Axelrod Arnie Roth Markus Poshner Eckehard Stier Michael Butterman Niklas Willén Karen Drugaryan Wolf Kerschek • CONCERT HALLS PERFORMED AT AS FEATURED GUEST SOLOIST UK Royal Albert Hall Royal Festival Hall Queen Elizabeth Hall Purcell Room, London Snape Maltings Concert Hall, London The Stables USA Rosemont Theatre, Chicago Macky Auditorium, Boulder-CO Lakewood Culture Center, Denver Miami-Dade County Auditorium Germany Gewandhaus, Leipzig Kölner Philharmonie, Cologne Die Glocke, Bremen Stadthalle, Osnabrück Westdeutscher Rundfunk, Cologne Theater An Der Ruhr, Mülheim Kultur+Kongress Zentrum Rosenheim – KUKO NDR Landesfunkhaus Niedersachsen, Hannover Lebanon Salle des Ambassadors-Casino du Liban Al Madina Theatre Casino Du Liban Theatre Palais de l' UNESCO Bustan Festival - Lebanon
- 4. 4 Other Countries Vienna concertHall - Austria Sydney Opera House - Australia Stockholm Concert Hall - Sweden Hummingbird Centre - Toronto - Canada Kremlin Palace Concert Hall - Moscow-Russia Monte Libano Club - São Paulo - Brazil Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture & Heritage - UAE Teatro Astral, Buenos Aires - Argentina Tokyo Bunka Kaikan Hall – Japan Theatre National de Chaillot - Paris-France Rudolfinum Concert Hall- Prague - Czech Republic Largo Porta Terra – Otranto - Italy Peshawa Hall, Erbil - Iraq Officine Cantelmo - Lecce-Italy Kilden Performing Art center – Kristiansand – Norway Gazarte – Athens - Greece Armenian National Academic Theatre of Opera & Ballet Cemal Reşit Rey Concert Hall- Istanbul & AASSM -Izmir –Turkey • MAJOR PERFORMANCES Selected Tours Perhat Khaliq & Morgenland all star band 2015 China Tour (18 Concerts in 18 Cities) Raúl di Blasio 2015 Miami- Dade county Auditorium USA & ABA Gala event in Doha-Qatar Martin Grubinger & the Camerata Salzburg orchestra 2014 Vienna concert Hall - Ausrtia Salzburg concert Hall - Austria Rosenheim, Kultur - und Kongreezentrum - Germany Sarah Brightman 2004 110 concerts in the 2004 Harem World Tour in 4 continents 2003 "Sarah Brightman" Live TV show “Gold Gold Gold” ARD at Color Line Arena, Hamburg-Germany Fairuz 2008 Arad Fort, Al Muharraq-Bahrain 2007 Herodes Atticus Odeon Theatre, Athens-Greece 2006-2008 Performed (Acted & Played) in 25 shows of the musical “Sah Al Naoum” in the Middle East 2006 American University in Dubai-UAE Emirates Palace Hotel, Abu Dhabi-UAE 2003 Mohegan Sun, Uncasville-US Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles-US Fox Theatre, Detroit-US
- 5. 5 Beiteddine Festival-Lebanon Sheraton Theatre,Doha-Qatar Jumeira Beach Sheraton, Dubai-UAE 2002 American University in Dubai-UAE Eduardo Niebla 1999-2002 Various performances in countries such as UK, UAE, Lebanon Antonio Forcione 1999-2002 Various performances in countries such as Italy, UK, Lebanon, Malta, Turkey Ara Gevorgyan 2010 Karabakh, Artsakh-Armenia 2010 Kremlin Palace-Moscow 2009 Aleppo Citadel-Syria 2004 Emile Lahoud Centre-Lebanon Selected Festivals 2015 ELBJAZZ Festival - Hamburg-Germany 2002 "BOOM Festival" with Youth Lisbon - Portugal 2000 Cultural events for the British & French consulates, Kano-Nigeria 2000 Jazz festival with Talvin Singh, Museu de Arte Moderna, Rio de Janeiro & São Paulo- Brazil 2000 Edinburgh Festival-Scotland With own fusion band & percussion group 2013 Beirut Holidays 2012 Casino Du Liban Lebanon (20 shows) 2012 Balloune Festival-Lebanon 2012 Um Event, University of Michigan-USA 2002 Clock Tower, London-UK 2008 Sun Flower Theatre-Lebanon 2008 Al Geneina Theatre, Cairo-Egypt 2006 Burj Al Arab-Dubai 2006 Kuwait’s first X-treme water show-Kuwait 2006 I love Life campaign concerts / Unesco / Biel-Lebanon 2005 Sourat Summer Festival-Lebanon 2005 Batroun Festival-Lebanon 2004 Faqra Classic Car Motor show-Lebanon 2003 Doha Car Motor Show by Nissan-Qatar 2003 Bacardi Night-At la Marina Dbaye-Lebanon 2003 Bacardi & Nai, at Citadel Amman-Jordan 2002 Live Style Festival-Dubai 2002 “Rhythm Sticks Festival" Rony Barrak & Pete Lockett, Purcell Room SBC, London-UK
- 6. 6 2001-2003 Music DayFestival, Beirut Downtown-Lebanon 2001-2002 Purcell Room, South Bank Centre, London-UK 2001-2002 "Rhythm Sticks" with own band featuring Snowboy, Purcell Room SBC, London-UK 2001 Opening of Virgin mega store-Lebanon 2000 Solo performance "Worldart.com" stage show-Scotland 2000 Braithwaite Hall at Croydon Clocktower, UK 2000 "BBC Radio World Service" Interviewed with own band, London-UK 2000 Car of the year on LBCI TV-Dubai 1999 Croydon Summer Festival-UK 1999 Cardiff Festival-UK 1999 Royal Albert Hall, London-UK • SELECTED JAZZ CLUBS PERFORMED AT UK (London) 606 Club Jazz Café 100 Club Ronnie Scotts Vortex Smollensky's on the Strand USA Jazz at Jack’s (Denver) Dazzle (Denver) Nissi’s (Denver) Snug Harbor (New Orleans) The Vic (Santa Monica) The Vitello’s Jazz (Los Angeles) Backed Potato (Los Angeles) Amsterdam: Bimhuis Jazz Club Armenia - Yerevan Malkhas jazz club- Stop jazz club - Mezzo club- 12 Club - Meloman - The Cafesjian Center for the Arts Turkey: Babylon -Istanbul • SYMPHONIC GAME MUSIC CONCERTS & ALBUMS FEATURED AS GUEST SOLOIST 2005–Present Symphonic Game Music Concerts by Merregnon Studios 2012 “Symphonic Fantasies Tokyo” Music from Square Enix by Merregnon Studios 2010 “Symphonic Fantasies” Music from Square Enix by Decca Records 2008 “Symphonic Shades” Huelsbeck in concert, by Merregnon Studios 2008 “PLAY!” Live 2007 “The Darkness” by 2K Games for Play station 3 and Xbox 360
- 7. 7 • SYMPHONIC GAMEMUSIC PERFORMED WITH COMPOSERS PRESENT Final Fantasies Chrono Trigger Chrono Cross Battlefield Metal gear Solid Halo Shenmue Silent Hill The Chronicles of Riddick Castlevania Nobuo Uematsu Koji Kondo Akira Yamaoka Takenaobu Mitsuyoshi Yasunori Mitsuda Yuzo Koshiro Jeremy Soule Chris Hülsbeck Gustaf Grefberg • MASTER CLASSES & WORKSHOPS 2015 Morgenland Summer Academy at Fattoria Musica Osnabrück - Germany 2015 The University of Adger (Faculty of Fine Arts) Kristiansand- Norway 2015 The University of Gothenburg-Academy of Music & Drama 2015 Kultur Bunker - Cologne - Germany 2014 The Gesamtschule Schinkel - Osnabruck-Germany 2014 Qolo old house in Byblos - Lebanon 2012 Drum Shop, Boulder - USA 2012 University of Michigan, Ann Arbor - USA 2012 Gymnasium in der Wüste, Public School, Osnabrück - Germany 2009 Immersive Studios, Boulder-USA 2007 British American Tobacco, Movenpick Hotel, Beirut - Lebanon 2007 Harriry School, Saida-Lebanon 2007 College of Music University of Colorado, Boulder - USA 2002 South Bank Center, London - UK 2000 Granada, Spain 2000 IAPS National Symphony Orchestra and children’s music workshop, Ipswich - UK 1997 Trinity College of Music, London - UK • CONFERENCES 2003- 2012- 2016 Conference on World Affairs at the University of Colorado, Boulder, USA 2006 "Ziad el Rahbani & Fairuz" at the American University of Beirut, Lebanon
- 8. 8 • AWARDS 2010 Appreciationaward by the Ambassador of Lebanon-Buenos Aires-Argentina 2010 Appreciation award by the Juventudo de la uniõn cultural Argentino-Libanesa 2010 Appreciation award by the president of Saint George Hospital 2005 Honorary Citizen of the City Dearborn, Michigan-USA 1988 Gold Medal-Studio al Fan on LBCI Television-Lebanon • MEDIA COMMENTS 2012 “Rony Barrak is an excellent musician” by the Legend Arturo Sandoval at Beirut Jazz Festival, LBCI TV “In Touch”, Lebanon 2010 "A Sublime Virtuoso" by Roger Ebert, screenwriter/film critic, Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago-USA 2009 "Boulder Philharmonic goes exotic with Tabla virtuoso Rony Barrak… A riveting performance… Lebanese musician Rony Barrak is an absolute master of the instrument" Daily Camera, Boulder-USA 2005 “Le percussionniste Rony Barrak a enflammé la foule” Prestige Le Monde de célébretiés, Lebanon 1989 “Rony Barrak proceeds to amaze the crowd with technique and speed that many of us would have difficulty matching with sticks. He also has the ability to play musically in a style reminiscent of Airto Moreira’s tambourine solos.” Rhythm, UK • ENDORSEMENTS Zildjian Cymbals Kevork Invented Percussions The Boulder Drum Shop-USA
- 9. 9 ALBUMS & DVDSFEATURING RONY BARRAK Year Album Title Artist Label Artwork 2015 Babilonia BANDADRIATICA Published by Finisterre & supported by the notice Puglia Sounds Recording 2014 Sherine Ibrahim Kevo & The NDR Big Band Dreyer Gaido 2014 Dastan Morgenland All Star Band Dreyer Gaido 2013 Qetiq Rock from Taklamakan Desert Dreyer Gaido 2013 Chicago Red Brad Goode Origin Records 2012 Symphonic Fantasies Tokyo Symphonic Fantasies Tokyo Music from Square Enix MAZ Sound Tools 2012 HEWAR – Letters to a homeland Jivan Gasparyan, Rony Barrak, Morgenland Chamber Orchestra, Andreas Müller Dreyer Gaido Musikproduktionen 2011 SHOUROUK NDR Bigband & Osnabrück Symphony Orchestra live at Morgenland Festival Osnabrück Dreyer Gaido Musikproduktionen 2010 Symphonic Fantasies WDR Radio orchestra Music from Square Enix Decca-Universal 2009 Symphonic Shades Huelsbeck in Concert Syn SONIQ Records 2008 PLAY LIVE ! A video game symphony. Live CD and bonus DVD Jason Michael Paul 2007 The Darkness video game/DVD Gustaf Grefberg Starbreeze Studios 2007 Da Capo DVD Live concert Ziad Rahbani Ziad Rahbani 2006 Et Awadna Alayk Julia Boutros Rotana
- 10. 10 2006 Maalomat AkeedaLatifa by Ziad Rahbani Rotana 2006 Heart’s Desire Echo Bay Echo Bay 2006 Les ombres du silence (Soundtrack) Ziad Rahbani - 2006 The FlatIrons Suite Sax Appeal jazzizit records 2006 Basements of Hell Killing Joke EG Music 2005 Explosive: The Best of Bond Bond Decca 2005 Simply Music Andre Hajj Andre hajj 2005 La Be Ahlamak Julia Boutros Rotana 2004 Harem (Live from Las Vegas) CD Sarah Brightman Angel 2004 Harem (Live from Las Vegas) DVD Sarah Brightman Angel 2004 Classified Bond String Quartet DECCA 2003 Le Cerf-Volant (Soundtrack) Ziad Al Rahbani OGNON PICTURES 2003 Harem Sarah Brightman Angel 2002 Shine bond String Quartet DECCA 2002 Rewind Amr Diab EMI Release 2001 Wala kif Fairuz EMI Arabia
- 11. 11 2001 Ha TalvinSingh Universal Island Records 2001 Claude Chalhoub Claude Chalhoub Teldec Classics 2000 Live Antonio Forcione Naim Records 2000 Made by Walking Tim Garland Stretch Records 2000 Master Musicians of Jajouka Talvin Singh Point Music USA & Universal Music Japan 1999 The Gift Eduardo Niebla Eduardo Niebla 1998 Romeo & Juliet Vanessa Mae EMI 1997 The Devil's Thrill Vanessa Mae Angel Records 1997 Halim Natasha Atlas Nation Records UK 1996 Democracy Killing Joke Butterfly Records, Big life 1996 Kashmir (Led Zepplin) London Philharmonic Orchestra, By Youth & Jaz Coleman Point Music 1996 Power Of Seven 7 System 7 Butterfly Records UK 1996 Musica Alhambra Juan Martin Flamencovision 1994 Al Rabih Abboud Abdel Al Aboud Abdel Al 1993 Suburban Gorillas Andrea Vicari Andrea Vicari