By Jack Gregg

Scruffy Child of the grave
The group is the Lebanese National Symphony Orchestra. Are you still with me or did you run screaming and retching to the bathroom? If you think you hate classical music I'm telling you come and find out if you really do. You love music, right? Did you ever hear 85 good musicians playing together ACOUSTICALY with no amplifiers in sight? Didn't think so. I am talking about a free concert by a group that is a miracle to exist in Lebanon. Half of the Orchstra are musicians who come here from Europe for the season. The rest are Lebanese heroes like the musicians at Kalinka, playing music because they must and keeping alive the tradition of great Lebanese music. Now you guyz are hip. Don't miss this please. For two hours turn off negative preconceptions and just listen to the sound of 30 violons, or 9 cellos, or 7 basses trying without ego to make music in a group, and you are getting the sound pure without machines. The next free concert of the LNSO will be Friday 18 January 20 hrs at Eglise St. Joseph next to Theatre Monot. This will be all Tschailowski concert, good for a starter because this composer is very accessable and wrote melodies to break your heart. K?

Achtar Trio Concert at the Assembly Hall
The Achtar Trio, made up of members of the Lebanese National Orchestra, gave a chamber music concert in the Assembly Hall on March 13.
The performance included pieces by Rachmaninov, Saint-Saens, Mozart and Paul Jean-Jean. The trio consisted of the Lebanese pianist Isabelle Kayayan, the Hungarian clarinet player Zsolt Szigeti and his wife, Timea Szeles-Szigeti, playing the viola.
The name, Achtar Trio, was not taken up for no reason, commented Walid Gholmieh, the president of the National Lebanese Higher Conservatory of music and a composer himself. Regarding the title he explained after the concert, "It is part of Lebanese history. Ashtarout is a symbol of love, and this trio symbolizes man, woman and love."Kayayan, the pianist, has been teaching piano at the conservatory since 1995. When asked about the Lebanese audience's awareness and appreciation of classical music Kayayan replied, "Compared to other countries, they have not gotten there yet. But compared to before, there is more awareness nowadays." Kayayan added that in order to raise the level of classical music appreciation, music education ought to begin at home. "In every house there must be some kind of music education to be able to appreciate music." Kayayan, who graduated from the Komida State University in Yerevan with a master's degree in chamber music, has performed in several other countries including Armenia, Cyprus, Syria and Russia.
The Hungarian clarinet player Zsolt Szigeti, who performed just last month at the Assembly Hall, currently teaches the clarinet at the conservatory. He, for one, is a fan of the Lebanese audience. "I like the Lebanese public because their strong clapping is inspiring," he said. His wife Timea agreed, depicting the Lebanese audience as" very active. If they like something, they show it." Timea, who is eight months pregnant, sarcastically alluded to her yet unborn child as a fourth member of this trio, "So it is not a trio but a quartet." Timea summarized what music represents for her in two words: "My life."
Amidst the audience, Gabor Vida, charge d'affairs at the Hungarian Embassy, described the Hungarian players as "outstanding musicians. We can only be happy to hear them play." Gholmieh added, "They are excellent musicians, all members of the Lebanese National Conservatory."