Joseph Tawadros

Last updated

Joseph Tawadros
Joseph Tawadros 2014.jpg
Tawadros at the 2014 ARIA Music Awards , Sydney, 26 November 2014
Background information
Born (1983-10-06) 6 October 1983 (age 40)
Origin Cairo, Egypt
Genres Jazz, world, classical
Occupation(s)Musician, composer
Instrument(s) Oud
Years active1995—present
Website josephtawadros.com

Joseph Tawadros AM (born 6 October 1983) is an Egyptian-born Coptic Australian multi-instrumentalist and oud virtuoso. [1] Tawadros has won the ARIA Award for Best World Music Album five times: 2012, 2013, 2014, [2] 2020. [3] and 2021.

Contents

Biography

Tawadros’ family emigrated from Egypt to Australia when he was three. [4] Initially attracted to the trumpet, he decided to learn the oud when he was eight, after seeing a movie about Egyptian musician Sayed Darwish. [5] Elected School Captain at Randwick Boys High School, where he was taught by Derek Williams. Tawadros is classically trained, having completed a Bachelor of Music degree at the University of New South Wales, where he was awarded a Freedman Fellowship for Classical Music. [4] His brother James Tawadros is also a musician. [6] In the 2000s, Tawadros also studied in Egypt with violin player Esawi Dagher, son of the renowned violin player Abdo Dagher. [7] During the years that followed, Tawadros spent three months a year in Egypt and learned to play other instruments: the bamboo flute nay, the Arabic zither qanun and the cello. [5]

At the ARIA Music Awards of 2012, Tawadros won Best World Music Album for Concerto of the Greater Sea (February 2012). [8] He won the same category in 2013 for Chameleons of the White Shadow (February 2013), 2014 for Permission to Evaporate (May 2014) and 2020 for Live at the Sydney Opera House (June 2020). He also won Best Original Soundtrack, Cast or Show Album in 2017 for Ali's Wedding (September 2017).

Style

Joseph Tawadros' style is described as eclectic. According to Sydney Morning Herald , "he has taken the oud out of its traditional Middle Eastern setting and into the realm of classical music and jazz". [4] "I don't like to play in a particular genre, I love all sorts of music", Tawadros explains, "I try to record an album a year and one that's totally different from the previous album". [9] He has collaborated with musicians such as John Abercrombie, Jack DeJohnette, Roy Ayers, Bela Fleck, Joey DeFrancesco, Richard Tognetti and the Australian Chamber Orchestra, [10] and The Academy of Ancient Music.

Tawadros plays 52 instruments on his albums including oud, qanun, saz, violin, ney, Portuguese guitar, electric bass, kalimba and accordion. His brother James uses 11 percussion instruments. [6]

Discography

Albums

List of albums with selected details
TitleDetails
Storyteller
  • Released: 2004
  • Label: Versilia (VACD 104.2)
  • Format: CD
Rouhani
(With Bobby Singh)
  • Released: 2005
  • Label: ABC Classics (4768078)
  • Format: CD
Visions
(With James Tawadros)
  • Released: February 2006
  • Label: Joseph Tawadros (JT2005)
  • Format: CD, DD
Epiphany
(With James Tawadros and Ben Rodgers)
  • Released: March 2007
  • Label: Joseph Tawadros (JT2007)
  • Format: CD, DD
  • Live album
Angel
(With James Tawadros and Dimitri Vouros)
  • Released: December 2008
  • Label: Joseph Tawadros (JT2008)
  • Format: CD, DD
The Prophet
  • Released: March 2009
  • Label: Joseph Tawadros (JT2009)
  • Format: CD, DD
  • Note: Poems selected from The Prophet written in 1923 by poet Kahlil Gibran
The Hour of Separation
  • Released: June 2010
  • Label: Joseph Tawadros
  • Format: CD, DD
Band of Brothers
(with Slava & Leonard Grigoryan and James Tawadros)
  • Released: March 2011
  • Label: ABC Classics (4764316)
  • Format: CD, DD
Concerto of the Greater Sea
  • Released: February 2012
  • Label: Joseph Tawadros (JT2012)
  • Format: CD, DD
Chameleons of the White Shadow
  • Released: February 2013
  • Label: ABC Classics (4810119)
  • Format: CD, DD
Permission to Evaporate
  • Released: May 2014
  • Label: ABC Classics
  • Format: CD, DD
Truth Seekers Lovers and Warriors
  • Released: April 2015
  • Label: ABC Classics (4811632)
  • Format: CD, DD
World Music
  • Released: March 2016
  • Label: Joseph Tawadros
  • Format: CD, DD
Live at Abbey Road
(with James Tawadros)
  • Released: July 2017
  • Label: Joseph Tawadros
  • Format: CD, DD
  • Live album
Ali's Wedding
(with Nigel Westlake, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Slava Grigoryan and Lior)
  • Released: September 2017
  • Label: ABC Classics
  • Format: CD, DD
  • Soundtrack album
The Bluebird, the Mystic and the Fool
  • Released: April 2018
  • Label: Joseph Tawadros
  • Format: CD, DD
Betrayal of a Sacred Sunflower
  • Released: June 2019
  • Label: Joseph Tawadros
  • Format: CD, DD
Live at the Sydney Opera House [11]
(with James Tawadros, Benjamin Northey and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra)
  • Released: 12 June 2020
  • Label: ABC Music
  • Format: CD, DD, streaming
  • Live album
Hope in an Empty City [12]
  • Released: 9 June 2021
  • Label: ABC Music
  • Format: CD, DD, streaming
History Has a Heartbeat
  • Released: 19 August 2022
  • Label: Joseph Tawadros
  • Format: CD, DD, streaming
Those Who Came Before Us
  • Released: 14 July 2023
  • Label: Joseph Tawadros
  • Format: CD, DD, streaming

Awards

AIR Awards

The Australian Independent Record Awards (commonly known informally as AIR Awards) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector.

YearNominee / workAwardResultRef.
AIR Awards of 2014 Permission to EvaporateBest Independent Jazz Album AlbumNominated [13]
AIR Awards of 2018 Live at Abbey RoadBest Independent Jazz Album AlbumNominated [14]
AIR Awards of 2020 Betrayal of a Sacred SunflowerBest Independent Classical AlbumNominated [15]
AIR Awards of 2021 Live at the Sydney Opera House
(with James Tawadros, Sydney Symphony Orchestra and Benjamin Northley)
Best Independent Classical Album or EPWon [16] [17]
AIR Awards of 2022 Hope in an Empty CityBest Independent Jazz Album or EPNominated [18] [19]

ARIA Music Awards

The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music. Tawadros has won seven awards from nineteen nominations. [20] [21]

YearNominee / workAwardResult
2004 Storyteller Best World Music Album Nominated
2006 Visions (with James Tawadros)Best World Music AlbumNominated
2007 EpiphanyBest World Music AlbumNominated
2008 AngelBest World Music AlbumNominated
2010 The ProphetBest World Music AlbumNominated
The Hours of Separation Best Jazz Album Nominated
2011 Band of Brothers (with Slava & Leonard Grigoryan & James Tawadros)Best World Music AlbumNominated
2012 Concerto of the Greater SeaBest World Music AlbumWon
2013 Chameleons of the White ShadowBest World Music AlbumWon
2014 Permission to EvaporateBest World Music AlbumWon
2015 Truth Seekers, Lovers and WarriorsBest World Music AlbumNominated
2016 World MusicBest World Music AlbumNominated
2017 Live at Abbey RoadBest World Music AlbumNominated
Ali's Wedding(with Nigel Westlake, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Slava Grigoryan & Lior) Best Original Soundtrack or Musical Theatre Cast Album Won
2018 The Bluebird, The Mystic and the FoolBest World Music AlbumNominated
2019 Betrayal of a Sacred SunflowerBest World Music AlbumNominated
2020 [22] Live at the Sydney Opera HouseBest World Music AlbumWon
2021 [23] [24] Hope in an Empty CityBest World Music AlbumWon
2022 [25] [26] History Has a Heartbeat(with William Barton)Best World Music AlbumWon
2023 [27] Those Who Came Before UsBest World Music AlbumWon

See also

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<i>Chameleons of the White Shadow</i> 2013 studio album by Joseph Tawadros

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<i>Permission to Evaporate</i> 2014 studio album by Joseph Tawadros

Permission to Evaporate is a studio album by Australian, multi-instrumentalist and oud virtuoso Joseph Tawadros. The album was self-released in May 2014.

References

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