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Mohamed Abdelwahab Abdelfattah was born in Giza around 12 km from the pyramids of Giza. He is a composer and professor in composition and music theory. He is one of the most important composers of the fourth generation of Egyptian composers. His musical education includes a B.A. from the Faculty of Composition as well as a second B.A in Ear Training Education ("Solfege") at the Egyptian Academy of Arts University in Cairo (1986), later, he obtained his M.A from the Academy of Arts in Giza/Cairo in 1990. He obtained his Master in composition in 1990. Mohamed Abdelwahab Abdelfattah obtained the highest terminal degree in composition, "Magister Artium" from "Musik and Darstellende Kunst Universitaet in Wien" in 1996, and obtaines his Doctor of Arts in Egypt (1998). He was appointed to the faculty of Cairo Conservatory in 1987, and currently, he works as a professor of composition at Cairo Conservatory in Egypt.
Mohamed Abdelwahab Abdelfattah is a multidisciplinary artist combining many fields in his musical compositions, including poetry, painting, photography and cinema montage. He offered his first experimental and acoustic music concert in Egypt under title "Basamat" at the Cairo Opera House, (November 22, 1999). He also offered the first electronic music concert with live Cairo Symphony Orchestra, which was conducted by him under title the "Tonalism", performing with collaboration of Japanese Foundation in Cairo, June 05, 2003. His work has been covered in both public and cultural media where he has been quoted as being an all-around comprehensive artist and a multi-media music pioneer in Egypt and the Arab countries. He is the first Egyptian composer to combine sound with photography, video and cinematography, and present them simultaneously and unconventionally, using electro-acoustic and computer technology.
Mohamed Abdelwahab Abdelfattah wrote several researches, and published two books and various articles in English and in Arabic journals about Arabic music theory, contemporary and experimental music. In his book "Seeing the sound", he writes about his unique experience in composition and he discusses new sound and musical terms related to embodied art and music.
Dr. Abdelwahab frequently combines Eastern and Western elements, reflecting his view on the importance of cross-cultural experience.
Beyond merely creating art for art’s sake, Abdelwahab envisions a vital social role for his art in establishing cross-cultural dialogue and understanding, particularly between the western and Arab world.