Amr Okba

Amr Okba is an Egyptian composer born in 1972. He started his musical education with piano and music theory lessons at the Institute of Arabic Music and Faculty of Music Education. In 1994, Amr obtained his Bachelor degree in Management and Business Administration in Egypt. Afterwards, he joined the Cairo Conservatoire (Department of Composition and Conducting), where he graduated with distinction. In 1998, Amr obtained his Bachelor in Composition, and short after he was awarded with the Rome Prize-State Prize for Artistic Creation (Composition), which allowed him to spend one year and a half in Italy. This award, which fosters the Egyptian-Italian cultural exchange, provided him the opportunity to get acquainted with European culture. There, he studied Composition with Professor Mauro Burtolotti. In 2003, through the Egyptian-Austrian Cultural Exchange Programme (ÖAD), Amr obtained a scholarship that allowed him to continue with his musical career.

In Austria, he studied Composition at both "MozarteumUniversität Salzburg" and "Wien UniversitätfürMusik und darstellendeKunst" with ReinhardFebel (Composition) and with Dieter Kaufmann (Electronic and Experimental Composition).

In 2006, Amr premiered his first Opera, "The book of going forth by day“, which was commissiond by "MusikderJahrhunderte“, for the ISCM opening concert in Stuttgart. This brought him international recognition, followed by a series of engagements, projects, commissions and concerts with prestigious festivals and organizations, such as "Salzburg Biennial“ and "Bregenz Festival“.

In 2008, Amr obtained the Austrian State Stipend for Composition, and in 2009, the Salzburg Annual Stipend for Music. Amr’s music was performed by several prestigious Orchestras and Ensembles such as, Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra (Conductor, Lukas Vis), Mozarteum University Orchestra (Conductor, Dennis Russell Davies), Cairo Symphonic Orchestra, Wiener Collage Ensemble, OENM Ensemble (Conductor, Johannes Kalitzke, Arturo Tamayo) and London Sinfonietta (Conductor: Diego Masson - Queen Elizabeth Hall). Amr’s music has also been broadcasted by several European Radio stations such as SWR (Germany) and ORF/Ö1 (Austria).

Commisions

• 2012 Wiener Collage Ensemble: Commission for Opera “Exile”
• 2010 Bregenz Festival: Commission for String quartet.
  World premiere: 17.08.2010
• 2009 Salzburg Biennial: Commission for the biennial part 04: Klaus Huber and the Arabic Music – composition for western and Arabic
  Ensembles: For the sake of Allah, I deserve nothing less than glory.
  World premiere: SolitärMozarteum Salzburg; OENM and Al Kindi
  Ensembles, Conductor: Arturo Tamayo.
• 2007 OENM: Commission for “Isis and Maria”.
  World premiere: Kollegienkirche Salzburg, Conductor: Johannes Kalitzke.
• 2007 Wiener Collage Ensemble: Commission for “Message”.
  World premiere: Arnold Schönberg Center Wien.
• 2006 ISCM (International Society for Contemporary Music): Commission for the ISCM Festival Opening Concert 2006 by Musikder
  Jahrhunderte, Stuttgart: Opera without scene for mezzo-soprano, tenor, bass, narrator, CD and grand Orchestra: The book of going forth by day.
  World premiere: The Theaterhaus Stuttgart, Stuttgart Radio Symphony
  Orchestra, Conductor: Lukas Vis.
• 2005 Establishment of the Global Interplay workshop for contemporary composition in Cairo - Intercultural exchange among young
  composers from five different cultures (Accra - Beijing - Berlin - Cairo – New York), supported by MusikderJahrhunderte, Stuttgart.

Degrees and awards

• 2009 Master of music in Composition with distinctions 
(Mozarteum, Salzburg)
• 2009 Salzburg Annual Scholarship for music shared with Gerhard Winkler
• 2009 Salzburg Biennial: Third prize
• 2008 Austrian State Scholarship for composition
• 2007 Bachelor of music in Music theory 
(Mozarteum, Salzburg)
• 2006 Bachelor of music in Composition
(Mozarteum, Salzburg)

1999 Rome Prize in Composition-The State Prize for Artistic Creation, Egypt
• 1998 Bachelor of music in Composition with distinctions
(Cairo Conservatoire, Cairo)
• 1993 Bachelor degree in Management and business administrations
(Helwan University, Cairo)


Email: amrokba@gmail.com

Personal / Publisher website: http://www.amrokba.com/

Orchestral

Symphony Orchestra

Charon-Pluto I,
76 Solo Instruments, 2007

Solo Instrument(s) and Orchestra

Rhapsody for cello and Orchestra


Chamber Music

Solo Instrumental

Suite for Piano,
2000

Solo for Harp,2003
Wassertropfen, 
piano, 2003

Solo for Piano,
2010

Quartet

String quartet, 
2010

Quintet

Integration, Flute, violin, cello, piano, 1010

Instability, Flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano, 2003


Message, 
Two violins, cello, trumpet, piano, 2008

Large Chamber Ensemble

Isis and Maria, 
Two violins, viola, cello, two trumpets, two trombones, percussion, 2007


For the sake of Allah! I deserve nothing less than glory,
 Western, Oriental ensembles and four narrators, 2009


Vocal

Adid, 
Four female voices, 2009

Stage

Opera

The Book of Going Forth by Day, 1 act concert opera, libretto by the composer, after the Egyptian Book of the Dead: Spell 99, for mezzo-soprano, tenor-speaker, bass-speaker, actor-speaker, large Orchestra, CD, 2006

Electro-acoustic

Atmosphere,
Two speakers, 2005

Steps, 
Four speakers, 2008

Unpacking, 
Four speakers, 2008


Works available in Library

Scores

• Wassertropfen (piano) - Score
• Message (piano, 2 violins, trumpet and cello) - Score
• Instability (piano, flute, cello, clarinet and violin) - Score
• Solo for Harp - Part
• The Book of Going Forth By Day Opera without Scene – Score
• Integration (fl, vln, vlc, pno) - Parts
• Pluto (full orch.) – Score
• Solo for Violin – Part
  

Recordings

• Solo for Harp
• Wasser Tropfen
• Instability
• The Book of Going Forth by Day