The Brussels Philharmonic Orchestra, in collaboration with Kurdish musicians, captivated audiences in the Belgian capital with a unique performance blending Kurdish heritage and classical orchestration.
The concert featured violinist Alan Arif from the Kurdistan Region and Daf virtuoso Sherko Kaniwar from Northern Kurdistan. Together with the orchestra, they transformed Kurdish melodies into a new classical style, filling the hall with music that told the story of a nation.
The piece, titled Kurdish Skies, was written by Iraqi composer Qutaiba Naimi, whose mother is Kurdish and father from Fallujah. Naimi attributed the success of the work to its balance of tradition and modernity.
“Our music is very rich and diverse,” he said. “Europeans are eager to discover it if presented scientifically and orchestrally, while preserving its identity. This is the secret — combining heritage with contemporary form.”
Violinist Alan Arif explained that he sought to represent the full spectrum of Kurdish musical heritage.
“It is not easy to capture all the colors of Kurdish music in seven or eight movements,” he said. “In Kurdish Skies I included Hawraman, Garmian, Badinan, and Kurmanji — all of them. Because in the end, we are Kurds.”
Audience members noted the enthusiastic response from non-Kurdish listeners. Goran Hawrami, who attended the performance, said:
“None of the people around me were Kurdish, yet when Alan played his piece, they applauded more enthusiastically than I did. It made me proud. This shows we are equal to other nations in the orchestral field.”
The Brussels Philharmonic is among Europe’s leading orchestras, but what made this evening remarkable was its embrace of Kurdish melodies — music that resonated with both heritage and innovation, and touched listeners far beyond the Kurdish community.
