Omar khairat
About
Omar Khairat is an Egyptian visionary composer who brought a new type of musical experience to Egypt and the Middle East. His works blend traditional eastern music styles with classic music and jazz, thus creating a unique sound that is both familiar, innovative and highly admired amongst all audiences. This fusion of music styles makes Omar Khairat one of the most influential composers of the modern era.
In a region where many people mainly connect to music through lyrics, Omar Khairat has redefined the concert experience through his live performances. He is considered a pioneer in luring large audiences into appreciating and enjoying pure instrumental music.
Born into an exceptionally artistic and musical family, Omar Khairat was mostly influenced by his uncle, Abu Bakr Khairat, whom he considered to be his role model. He was the first musician to present Egyptian music in a symphonic framework, as well as being the first to use popular Egyptian melodies in symphonic works. Abu Bakr Khairat was also the architect who designed the Academy of Arts which included the Conservatoire Institute for which he became its first dean. Omar’s grandfather, Mahmoud Khairat, was also multi talented in music, applied arts, literature and translation, with law being his main profession. The Khairat house, where Omar was born, and which was located on Khairat street in the famous district of Alsayeda Zeinab in Cairo, became a cultural hub for famous artists and public figures at that time. It became a permanent salon for great thinkers and artists such as Al-Manfaluti, Umm Kulthum, Abdel Wahab, Sayed Darwish and Mahmoud Mukhtar.
Omar Khairat was among the first batch of students who joined the Cairo Conservatoire in 1959. He studied the piano under the direction of the Italian Maestro Vincenzo Carro and then he continued studying music theory, through correspondence at the Trinity College of Music in London. In parallel, he became involved in international popular music and jazz and played the drums for one of the top bands in Egypt in the 60s and 70s, Les Petits Chats. This experience added another dimension to his musical influences and styles.
Omar Khairat began his professional career as a music score composer in the mid -1980s with his first film ‘Leilat al Kabd Ala Fatma’ starring the famous Egyptian actress Faten Hamama. Over the span of forty years, Omar Khairat has composed the music scores of more than 120 of some of Egypt’s most famous films and television series. In addition, he has also composed music for several theatre performances, ballets and operettas. In his home country, Egypt, Omar Khairat performs live on a regular basis at the Cairo Opera House. He has performed at many prestigious venues in Egypt like The Luxor Temple, Aswan Philae Temple, The Citadel, The sound and Light at the Pyramids Plateau, the Grand Egyptian Museum, The National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation and at the inauguration of the New Suez Canal.
Internationally, Omar has had performances in North Africa, the Middle East and Europe in many destinations; Russia, Slovenia, Spain, UK, Italy, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Oman, Jordan, Bahrain, Qatar, Tunisia, Morocco.
Omar Khairat continues to push the boundaries of music composition, and his artistry and charismatic presence on stage have made him a beloved figure both in Egypt and internationally and a revered source of inspiration for many upcoming musicians. His work has been lauded by audiences and critics alike, and he remains one of the most influential and respected composers in Egypt and the Middle East today.
