Concerto to Have World Premiere

Christophe Chagnard and Kinan Azmeh

(Press Release) (August 26, 2025)— Commissioned by Harvey and Virginia Kimmel, patrons of the South Florida-based chamber orchestra The Symphonia, the new concerto EBENUS: Concerto for Clarinet will receive its world premiere this January in Boca Raton. Co-composed by Grammy-winning Syrian clarinetist and composer Kinan Azmeh (based in New York City) and acclaimed French conductor and composer Christophe Chagnard (Paris-based), the work represents a rare collaboration between two internationally celebrated artists/composers.
 
The title, EBENUS, refers to the ebony wood traditionally used to make clarinets, a resource now under threat. Through this symbolism, the piece underscores how climate change reaches even into music, reminding us that the loss of natural materials could one day silence instruments themselves.
 
The premiere will be performed Jan. 24–25, 2026 at The Studio at Mizner Park, alongside Dvořák’s New World Symphony, 

---