Death of Syrian Musician Amin Al-Khayat

The Syrian Artists Syndicate and the Ministry of Culture mourned maestro Amin Al-Khayat, who passed away at the age of 87 after a long battle with illness. Al-Khayat was born in Damascus in 1936 and grew up in a home that cherished music, as his father, Abdul Aziz Al-Khayat, was an art enthusiast who hosted many composers and musicians. He graduated from the Arab Institute of Music in 1954 after learning to play the qanun, and underwent a year of training in various musical groups in theaters in Damascus after graduation. He joined the Aleppo Radio Orchestra and later held the position of "creator" at the Arab Institute of Music under the Ministry of Culture, as well as a composer for radio and television in Damascus. In 1963, he formed the Al-Fajr Music Band, which included a group of skilled musicians, six of whom later became heads of major orchestras. He participated in founding the Syrian Artists Syndicate in 1968 and served as its president for four terms, as well as being elected to the Board of Directors multiple times. He composed music for major Syrian singers such as Dhiab Mashhour, Maha Al-Jabri, Mustafa Nasri, Faten Hanawi, Mustafa Maher, and Samir Helmi. He also collaborated with Arab singers from Egypt and elsewhere and created soundtracks for television programs, series, and films.