Samy Moussa

Samy Moussa (born June 1, 1984) is a Canadian conductor and composer of classical music, living in Berlin. His works have been performed internationally.

Early life and education

Moussa was born and grew up in Montreal.[1] He completed his undergraduate studies at the Université de Montréal with José Evangelista[2] and postgraduate studies at University of Music and Performing Arts Munich with Matthias Pintscher and Pascal Dusapin, also participating in conducting master classes with Pierre Boulez,[3] Péter Eötvös,[4] and Royaumont Voix Nouvelles courses with Salvatore Sciarrino.

Career

In 2010, Moussa became music director of the INDEX Ensemble in Munich, and since that time worked with a number of ensembles and orchestras among which were: MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra, hr-Sinfonieorchester, CBC Radio Orchestra, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra among others.[5]

He conducted the premiere of his second opera, Vastation, with a libretto by Toby Litt, at the Munich Biennale in 2014.[6]

His first symphony, titled Concordia, was premiered by Kent Nagano conducting the Montreal Symphony Orchestra in May 2017.[7] That year the Dallas Symphony Orchestra gave the United States premiere of his work A Globe Itself Infolding for organ and orchestra,[8] which had previously been premiered and recorded by the Montreal Symphony Orchestra.[9]

In 2013, Moussa won the Ernst von Siemens Composer Prize.[10] In 2017, he received the Hindemith Prize.[11][12] In 2018, the German government awarded him a fellowship at Villa Massimo in Rome.[3][13]

Moussa composed the music for Julian Rosefeldt's film installation Euphoria, which premiered at the Ruhrtriennale in 2022[14], and which received subsequent productions at the Park Avenue Armory the same year[15], and at the Holland Festival[16] and RISING in Melbourne in 2023.[17]

In 2021, the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Christian Thielemann, gave the world premiere of Moussa's Elysium.[18] In 2023, trombonist Jörgen van Rijen gave the premiere of his Trombone Concerto "Yericho" with the Orchestre national de Lyon.[19] In 2024, the Dutch National Opera gave the premiere of his oratorio Antigone for women's chorus and orchestra, sung in Ancient Greek.[20] He was named composer-in-residence of the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra for the 2024-2025 season.[21] In 2025, flautist Emmanuel Pahud gave the premiere of his Flute Concerto with the Orchestre national de France.[22]

References

  1. ^ "Le Montréal de Samy Moussa". La Presse, Alain de Repentigny, May 31, 2017
  2. ^ "Interview: Esprit Orchestra guest composer Samy Moussa hopes to do better next time". Ludwig=Van, By John Terauds on January 22, 2014
  3. ^ a b Kaptainis, Arthur (February 1, 2019). "Samy Moussa, Citizen of the World". myscena.org. Retrieved May 16, 2019.
  4. ^ "Samy Moussa". OSM. Retrieved May 16, 2019.
  5. ^ "Samy Moussa". Durand Salabert Eschig. Retrieved May 16, 2019.
  6. ^ Braunmüller, Robert (May 11, 2014). "Münchener Biennale für Neues Musiktheater: So war Samy Moussas Oper Vastation im Carl-Orff-Saal". Abendzeitung (in German). Munich. Retrieved May 16, 2019.
  7. ^ Kaptainis, Arthur (June 6, 2017). "Concert review: Symphony for Montreal, with Moment Factory, is worthy of the city it celebrates". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved May 16, 2019.
  8. ^ "Flamboyant flailings from Finnish conductor Hannu Lintu whip up bold Dallas Symphony performances". Dallas Morning News, Scott Cantrell, September 22, 2017
  9. ^ "Expect the unexpected on recordings of Kent Nagano and Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal". Los Angeles Times, By Mark Swed, March 23, 2016
  10. ^ "Composers' Prize Winners". Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation. Archived from the original on July 6, 2011. Retrieved May 16, 2019.
  11. ^ Wright, Katy. "Samy Moussa wins 2017 Hindemith Prize". rhinegold.co.uk. Retrieved May 16, 2019.
  12. ^ Vincent, Michael (February 10, 2017). "The Scoop | Canadian Samy Moussa Named Winner of 2017 Hindemith Prize". Musical Toronto. Retrieved May 16, 2019.
  13. ^ "Stipendiaten". Villa Massimo (in German). Retrieved May 16, 2019.
  14. ^ ""Euphoria" von Julian Rosefeldt - Abgründe und Faszination des Kapitalismus". Deutschlandfunk Kultur (in German). 26 August 2022. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
  15. ^ Lewis, Michael J. (17 January 2023). "Anti-Capitalism on Park Avenue". Commentary Magazine. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
  16. ^ "Euphoria – Holland Festival". hollandfestival.nl. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
  17. ^ Byrne, Tim (3 June 2023). "Euphoria review – Cate Blanchett voices a tiger in this visually beautiful takedown of capitalism, but where's the fury?". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
  18. ^ Bridle, Marc. "The BBCSO explore the relationship with God and Man in works by Haydn, Moussa and Strauss – Opera Today". Opera Today. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
  19. ^ "Mendelssohn's Elias - an unmistakably Romantic piece with a Baroque spirit - The Montrealer". themontrealeronline.com. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
  20. ^ Knight, Eleanor. "Oedipus Rex and Antigone a double triumph for DNO and DNB". bachtrack.com. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
  21. ^ "HPO welcomes Samy Moussa as Composer-in-Residence | Helsingin kaupunginorkesteri". helsinginkaupunginorkesteri.fi. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
  22. ^ Rousseau, Jean-Pierre. "Emmanuel Pahud au centre d'un programme composite à Radio France". bachtrack.com (in French). Retrieved 6 March 2026.
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