195 Students from Solhi Al Wadi Institute celebrate its 60th anniversary

Damascus (ST): Since its establishment in 1961, the officials of the Solhi Al Wadi Institute of Music have cultivated successive generations of musicians who have become a milestone in the history of contemporary music as instrumentalists, academic composers and leaders of professional bands who have represented their country in local and international forums.

On the occasion of the founding anniversary of the Solhi Al-Wadi Institute, the Institute, along with the Directorate of Technical Qualification, the Department of Institutes, Music and Ballet at the Ministry of Culture, organized a diverse musical celebration in which 195 male and female students from the Institute participated at Dar Al-Assad for Culture and Arts.

At the beginning of the celebration, the classical orchestra played the Syrian Arab anthem, then a documentary film was shown that reviewed the history of the institute since its inception and its role in supporting the Syrian music scene in generations that led and directed it.

The Minister of Culture, Dr. Lubana Mushawah, indicated that today’s celebration is a tribute to those who built this edifice and embraced generations of children who joined the institute since the age of six and studied in it for nearly 7 years, after which they joined the Higher Institute of Music. She thanked the Vice President of the Syrian Arab Republic, Dr. Najah Al-Attar, who has white hands on the Syrian culture, especially the expansion of the institutes to include most of the governorates through a beautiful and productive journey that overcame difficulties.

In his speech, the Director of the Conservatory, Biryam Sweid, stated that the tree, which was planted 60 years ago, has deep roots and proudly occupies a prominent corner in the Syrian Cultural Garden, which shaped the painting of the musical scene in Syria, the Arab world and the world with sound foundations and academic standards as a translation of the depth of the thought of its late founder, Solhi Al-Wadi.

Sweid reviewed the steps and stages of building the institute, including bringing in experts, establishing teams, and sending the first students abroad through scholarships  to complete their education, to later form the basic building block for the Syrian symphony and professional ensembles, pointing out that the number of the institute’s students today reaches 1,100  who learn all musical instruments.

K.Q.