(b. 22 September 1972, Cairo).
Egyptian composer of mostly chamber and vocal works that have been performed in Europe and the Middle East; he is also active as a percussionist.
Mr. Basha studied composition with Rageh Daoud and conducting with Ahmed El-Saedi at the Conservatory of the Academy of Arts in Cairo, where he earned his BMus in both subjects with honours in 1997, his higher diploma in composition in 1999, his MMus in composition with honours in 2004, and his PhD in composition with honours in 2008. He also studied drum kit privately with Ashraf Fouad, Labib Henin and Amr Khairy in Cairo from 1990–93, earned two diplomas in studio operation at Helwan University in Helwan in 1995 and twice attended the International Workshop for Orchestral Conducting in Cairo in 2001–02.
Among his honours are First Prize in a competition for music for children's chorus in Cairo (1994, for the song for children Shams el-Sabah – Morning Sun [withdrawn]) and First Prize in a competition for music for youth orchestra in Cairo (2002, for Ay'oub). His music has been performed in Algeria, Egypt, France, Germany, Italy, Morocco, the Netherlands, Russia, Serbia, Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia, Turkey, and the USA.
As a percussionist, he served as a member of the Cairo Opera Orchestra from 1998–2002. He played with the quartet Saxofourte in Egypt and Germany in 2004.
He taught composition and conducting as an assistant at the Conservatory of the Academy of Arts in Cairo from 2004–08, where he has taught analysis, orchestration and principles of composition and conducting since 2008.
SELECT LIST OF WORKS
ORCHESTRAL:
Steps Rewind..., large orchestra (71 players), 1997
Legnawy, 2003
Sabrine, 2004
Eskinderia – Alexandria, string orchestra, 2004
28/4/2004, string orchestra, 2004
Entazar, oud (lute from the Middle East), orchestra, 2007
CHAMBER MUSIC:
El-Nahhasseen... – Brass Makers of El-Hussain, 7 percussion, 2001
El-Fishawy... – Coffee Shop in El-Hussain (vocalise), voice, 7 percussion, fixed media, 2002
Enawy – Man from Qena, violin, viola, cello, piano, 2002
Gana el-Farh – Joy Has Sung (suite of wedding folksongs), cello, piano, 2003
Characters from the Alley, flute, double bass/bass guitar, 2003
Dandourmah – Ice Cream, 4 saxophones, drum kit, 2004
A Gift from Egypt, 4 saxophones, drum kit, 2004
Your Paradise (percussionist also chants text by the composer), 4 saxophones, drum kit, 2004 (also version for voice from Egypt, 4 saxophones, drum kit, 2004)
Bannoutah – A Young Girl, 4 saxophones, drum kit, 2004
Yamamah Baidah – White Pigeon, ney (flute from the Middle East), harp, string quartet, 2004
Aragoz – Puppet, flute, oboe (+ ney ad libitum), clarinet, bassoon, 2004
El-Sabr Gameel, kawala (flute from the Middle East), clarinet, qanun (zither from the Middle East), rababa (2-string bowed instrument from the Middle East), violin, viola, cello, riq (tambourine from the Middle East), 2006
El-Metfarnageen, violin, viola, cello, piano, marimba, 2009
CHORAL:
The Throne (text from an ancient source from Egypt), mixed chorus, electric guitar, bass guitar, synthesizer, drum kit, large orchestra (88 players), 2000
Ay'oub (text by the composer), speaker, children's chorus, mixed chorus, rababa, orchestra, 2002
Misr el-Gadidah (text by Mohammed Fadel), mixed chorus, large orchestra, 2006 (also version with text by Nayer Nagui)
Ya Laytani – I wish I could be (text by Fawzi El-Melegi), male chorus, recorders (1 player), 2008
VOCAL:
Rynzi (text from an ancient source from Egypt), soprano, harp, vibraphone, percussion, 1997
Prisoner (text from an ancient source from Egypt), female speaker, tablā from Egypt (+ zill [finger cymbals from the Middle East]), drum kit, live electronics, lights, 2001
Legnawy... – Man from Qena (text by the composer), alto, rababa, orchestra, 2002
ARRANGEMENTS:
Ana hawaitoh wentahait... – I loved him and I vanished (Sayed Darwish), voice from Egypt, mixed chorus from Egypt, orchestra, 2002
Ya Fo'ady – Oh, my heart (Sayed Darwish), voice from Egypt, mixed chorus from Egypt, orchestra, 2002