Walid Raja Hourani
International Lebanese pianist and composerA pianist and composer from a Machghara family who studied in Moscow, performed across Europe, the Middle East, and North America, and received Lebanese and international musical honours.
Biography
Walid Raja Hourani was born in New York in 1948 and grew up in Beirut. He belongs to the Hourani family associated with Machghara. He began piano lessons as a child, and his talent attracted the support of composer Aram Khachaturian, who encouraged him to continue his musical education in Moscow.
He graduated with distinction from Moscow’s Central Music School and then studied for several years at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory. His subsequent career included performances and tours in Europe, the former Soviet Union, the Middle East, Canada, and the United States.
Hourani performed major works of the international classical repertoire and composed original music. His honours include Lebanon’s National Order of the Cedar at the rank of Knight, and he is regarded as a major name in the history of Lebanese classical piano performance.
Notable Contributions
Performed internationally across Europe, the Middle East, and North America.
Helped establish a Lebanese presence in international classical piano performance.
Received the National Order of the Cedar at the rank of Knight and other musical honours.