The main theater in Darb Al Saai witnessed a new symposium entitled “Musical Strings”, in which Mr. Abdullah Hamid Al-Mulla, the Director of Student Activities Department at Qatar University, Mr. Mohammad Al-Banna, composer and arranger, and the emerging artist Hassan Al-Kubaisi, the winner of the “Awtar Competition” participated thereof. Meanwhil, the media symposium was moderated and presented by Adel Abdullah.
The symposium dealt with the beginnings of the “Awtar” competition for “oud” and “piano” players, which was previously launched by the Ministry of Culture represented by the Music Affairs Center, in cooperation with Qatar University, in its first edition. Meanwhile, the same edition witnessed a remarkable turnout by Qatar University students.
For his part, Mr. Abdullah Hamid Al-Mulla, the Director of Student Activities Department at Qatar University, said that student activities in all educational institutions are an outlet for students to practice their various hobbies and keep busy during their spare time, other than during lecture times.
He added by saying that: We, at Qatar University, embrace talent, and provide students with all possible ways to unleash, stressing that Qatar University is full of many events and activities, and that it has about 92 student clubs, in all different fields.
Mr. Abdullah Al-Mulla pointed out that students who have different hobbies and talents are applying to launch student clubs for them, “and we, in turn, support this aspect.”
In his turn, Mr. Mohammed Al-Banna, the composer and arranger, recalled the beginnings of the announcement of the “Awtar” competition, which was previously held in cooperation between the Music Affairs Center of the Ministry of Culture and Qatar University. Al-Banna said: The center has specialists who can direct the various competitions and guide the participants in the right direction, in addition to providing the appropriate place for their selection and training.
Al-Banna added by saying that two instruments were chosen to be played in the first edition of the “Awtar” competition, which are the oud and the piano, due to the ease of their presence in many homes, pointing out that the competition received many entries as soon as it was announced, describing the process of selecting the finalists for the following stages as very difficult, and was carried out according to objective criteria.
In this context, Awtar Competition for Oud and Piano Players, in its first edition, aimed to enhance cooperation between the various entities of the State of Qatar, with the aim of enriching the cultural aspect and developing the musical sense of students, in addition to discovering and developing their artistic talents. Oud and piano from Qatar University students.
As for the emerging artist Hassan Al-Kubaisi, the winner of Awtar competition, he presented some musical compositions during the symposium, and these are the compositions that captured those with artistic taste from attending the symposium.
Al-Kubaisi said: He started playing the oud, when he was not more than thirteen years old at the time, and that his uncle contributed to his career and developing his talent, until he continued his career afterwards through teaching and learning.