Kinan Azmeh (Arabic: كنان العظمة, romanized: Kinān Azme, born June 10, 1976, in Damascus), is a Syrian clarinet player and composer of contemporary classical music based in New York City.
[7] In 1995, Azmeh joined the Damascus-based pop music band Kulna Sawa (Arabic for: All of us together), founded by composer and songwriter Iyad Rimawi and other young Syrian musicians.
[8] In 2003, Azmeh, singer Dima Orsho, oud player Issam Rafea and others started the Syrian world fusion band Hewar (Arabic for dialogue).
[9] On his website, Azmeh describes Hewar as "an attempt to transcend the barriers of cultural disparities and misconceptions, and establish a civilized communication which builds on what brings humans closer together rather than separates them.
[5] In addition, he performed and recorded with Daniel Barenboim's West-Eastern Divan Orchestra,[11] as well as with Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road Ensemble[12] that won a Grammy Award for the album Sing Me Home in 2017.
[13] In 2019, he published his double CD "Uneven Sky",[14] with Yo-Yo Ma as guest artist on cello and the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, presenting works by Syrian contemporary composers Kareem Roustom, Zaid Jabri, Dia Succari as well as his own compositions.