Baghdad Conservatory
Former music school in Baghdad, Iraq
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Baghdad Conservatory, also known as Iraqi Music Institute,[1] Baghdad Institute of Music,[2] or Musical Institute & Academy of Fine Arts,[3] was a music conservatory in Baghdad, Iraq.
| Type | Music school |
|---|---|
| Established | 1936 |
| Founder | Hanna Petros |
| Location | , |
History
Assyrian Iraqi composer and scholar Hanna Petros founded the institution in 1936.[4][5] Şerif Muhiddin Targan was later appointed dean, but Petros continued to play a major role in the conservatory.[6][7]
The conservatory has produced such famous oud players as Munir Bashir, his brother Jamil Bashir (who both taught there[8]), Salman Shukur, Ghanim Haddad, and Rahim AlHaj, who studied under Munir and Jamil Bashir as well as and composer and oud player Salim Abdul Kareem.[8]
The Iraqi maqam singer Farida Mohammad Ali studied singing at the college, and also taught there in the 1990s. She was the first female teacher.[9][2]
In 2004, when Rahim AlHaj visited the city, after the 2003 invasion of Iraq, he found the conservatory burnt out and empty.[8]
Related institution
The Baghdad College of Fine Arts, part of the University of Baghdad, has its origins in the conservatory.[5]
