Hymns by Sousan Eskandar and Lolita Emmanuel

Hymns is a set of microtonal piano–violin adaptations of Syriac Orthodox hymns (from the Edessan and Dayr al-Zaʿfarān schools) in arrangements by Nouri Iskandar, created and performed by Sousan Eskandar & Lolita Emmanuel.

This is the first musical release of their collaborative project, Performing Home, which explores what it means to perform home through their shared connections to Syriac chant and ancient Mesopotamian heritage.

The album features 6 tracks for violin and piano, with the piano retuned by the "Maqiano” - a portable microtuning device - to bring it into closer dialogue with the violin, and with the colours and expressions that sound like home.

Their collaboration honours the life and work of the late Nouri Iskandar – Sousan’s father, and a pioneering composer-musicologist whose passion for Syriac hymn, Assyrian traditional music and Syria’s diverse cultural heritage has inspired generations of musicians around the world. Continuing Iskandar’s legacy, Performing Home seeks new expressions rooted in heritage, guided by his artistic spirit of creativity

Performing Home is a collaborative project between violinist Sousan Eskandar and pianist Lolita Emmanuel, exploring what it means to perform home through their shared connections to Syriac chant and ancient Mesopotamian heritage.